A Christmas Healing
by MissKatt18
Summary: After a horrid Christmas experience, Sesshoumaru became the cold hearted demon he is today. His job nominates him to deliver the fruits of their toy drive to the town orphanage where he meets an overly bubbly volunteer.
1. The Start of it All

**A/N: Alright, so I was debating whether or not to do an actual holiday fic (besides my daily drabbles) with our favorite pair. I hope you like it! It's a slight twist on A Christmas Carole! I'm sure many authors will be using this theme this year, but I hope I added a different twist to it :3 Please let me know what you think! **

**-MissKatt**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters. All credit goes to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_A Christmas Healing_**

**_By: MissKatt_**

Prologue: The Start of it All

"Okaa-san," A young child with perfectly combed, short, silvery white hair looked up at his stoic mother. His wide amber eyes stared at her, taking in her fragile appearance. Her white hair was pulled up tight into a high bun, a curled strand hanging down in front of each of her pointed ears. Her blank honey eyes stared out the dining room window, watching as the fresh snow fell elegantly to the earth. She was still wearing the strapless ball gown from the party their family had been invited to. It ended up being a cruel night for her.

"Sesshou-chan," She began with a cracked voice. That was the beginning of the flood of emotion. She fell to the floor and crumpled into herself, wrapping her arms around herself. "I cannot be strong for you any longer, my son." Her claws tore into her pale flesh, blood beading at the puncture holes before rolling down her soft skin.

"Is…is it because of Otou-san?" He whispered, stepping closer to his mother. He reached out to touch her bobbing shoulders, but quickly found himself on his rump. He blinked up at his mother, confused. Had she really just struck him?

"Do not touch me! I detest your very existence! You are a worthless youkai and a deceiver! May you rot in the deepest level of hell for your treachery against me!" She screeched the words, her eyes bleeding red as she stared down at him.

"Oka-"

"I will listen to your lies no longer!" She lurched at him, swiping her deadly claws at him.

He shot to his left, suddenly very glad to have his father's speed. He looked up at his mother's red eyes, tears falling from them. He suddenly knew she did not see her son, but her cheating mate. Her bond was shattering her from the inside and was slowly contorting her mind. She leaped at him with a faster pace, her claws at his neck.

"Okaa-" He breathed, flinching when her poisonous talons struck his face, leaving four deep gashes in his cheek.

"Enough!" She growled and tightened her grip on his neck. Sesshoumaru struggled beneath his mother, eyes widening as his throat was crushed. Could she really not see the difference between them? He felt his blood seep down his cheek and drip down his neck, spilling onto her hand. As if it were acid, she quickly pulled it away. Her face twisted into a look of horror as she looked down at the fresh bruises on his neck. "S-Sesshoumaru…"

"Okaa-san!" The child sat up, paying no mind to his stinging cheek or throbbing neck. He simply wanted to help his mother; to try and ease the pain his father had inflicted on her.

"My son, I am sorry." She cried, more tears falling from her eyes. She buried her face in her hands, her whole body shaking with a mixture of agony and terror.

"It is okay, okaa-san, it is not your fault!" He urged, feeling helpless to stop her pain. "I humbly apologize for father." Again, he approached her, wanting nothing more than to hug his mother tightly.

"Do not apologize for that man! He has destroyed our sacred bond and thus ruined my life. I cannot stay here anymore, Sesshou-chan. I am sorry, but I must leave you." She began to rock back and forth, her eyes becoming vacant once more.

"Leave me? No, you cannot go! Father has already left!" The young youkai pleaded with his mother. Surely she would not leave him too? She was all he had now.

"Yes," Her rocking stopped at the word. "He left with _her_. HER!" She let out an ear shattering scream and turned her blood lust back onto her 'mate'. But this time, when she shot out at him, he did not try to avoid it. If this would sooth his mother's anguish then he would help. He winced slightly when she raised him from his feet by his neck, her fangs bared as she released a snarl. "I will kill you, Touga." Her voice was cold and full of piercing hate.

"Inukimi!"

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened as his mother's face warped into a mask of shock and pain, physical this time, before it drooped into nothing, blood dribbling at the corner of her painted pink lips. Her grip slacked on his neck and he landed perfectly on his feet. She began to fall and he couldn't help but just watch with his mouth agape. A hole was in her chest, her crimson blood soaking the black satin fabric of her dress.

"O-okaa-san!" He cried and went after his mother, but a strong arm wrapped around him, hoisting him off the ground and into a familiar chest. "No! Release me! You killed my mother!"

"Sesshoumaru, she was going to kill you. I had to save you. She was not herself and could not see clearly. She saw me instead of you." Taisho Touga murmured, his voice saddened.

"Do not act sad, Otou-san! You killed her. You killed her by choosing that human!" He shouted, pounding on his father's chest as he carried his son away from the scene.

"I will not deny my actions. But, if I hadn't killed her, she would continue to try and kill you, Sesshoumaru. I could not have her take away my only son." He hugged his son tightly to him, one hand still occupying by his sword.

He struggled greatly against his father before relinquishing his protests and melting into his father's embrace, burying his face in his chest as he sobbed.

Sesshoumaru would cry just this once for his mother.

**A/N: YAYYY! Let me know what you think :3**

**-MissKatt**


	2. The Orphanage

**A/N: I hope you guys are liking it :3 I look forward to reading your reviews :) And yes, I know, poor Sesshou-chan! This chapter is just going to provide a little more background information on everyone and their situations. Have to get the story rolling before any healing begins :3**

**-MissKatt**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters. All credit goes to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_A Christmas Healing_**

**_By: MissKatt_**

Chapter One: The Orphanage

"Ahh, we're going to be late! Shippou-chan! Are you ready?" Kagome called frantically, tugging on her beige pea coat and buttoning it up. She slipped on her thick boots and wrapped a black scarf around her neck. "Shippou-chan!"

"Haiiii!" He replied as he came from his bedroom, pulling gloves onto his tiny hands. She smiled down at her son and hunched down in front of him, tying a green scarf around his neck. "Mama! Why do I have to wear all of this?"

"Because it's snowing already! I can't have you catching a cold, Shippou-chan." She said firmly as she held out his jacket for him.

"I'm a youkai, Mama! I don't get colds!" He scoffed, but slid into the jacket and watched as she zipped it up.

"I won't take any chances!" She winked at him and tapped him on the nose before standing up straight again. "Will you help me carry the bags?"

"Hai! I will carry them all, I _am_ a youkai," He spoke proudly before walking over to the pile of groceries. He placed his hand around the loops of the bags and heaved.

They didn't budge.

He turned to his mother, a large blush covering his cheeks. She let out a laugh and smoothed out his fiery red hair. "You're getting stronger, Shippou-chan. Here," She handed him the bags that held the bread rolls and vegetables. "How's that?"

He nodded enthusiastically and watched as she picked up the other bags containing the rice, meat, and sauces. The two left the apartment and she turned to lock the door. "Can I ask you something, Mama?"

"Hai, hai." She said with a smile as they made their way down the stairs and onto the icy sidewalk.

"Why have we started to go more? We used to go only twice a month." He said shyly, looking down at the ground.

Kagome turned to him and watched his saddened expression. She let out a sigh, the breath forming a white cloud in front of her lips. "December is a very important month for the orphanage. You should know that, Shippou-chan."

"H-hai. I like going and playing with everyone, but it makes me feel bad." He murmured, tightening his grip on the plastic handles.

"I know, but we can at least help out by coming more often during this hectic season. So, we will be coming every day on the weekends." She said, watching the kitsune carefully. She knew that, despite what he said, he hated the orphanage. It brought back cruel memories for the kit and she could more than relate to him. However, if it wasn't for the orphanage, she would have never adopted him and they wouldn't be the little family they were today.

"O-okay," He stuttered and furrowed his brows. "It's good to help, right Mama?"

"Yes, Shippou-chan. It is the least we can do for Kaede-baachan after she took care of both of us for so long." She commented, smiling down at him.

"Ah, that's right! I forgot that Kaede-baachan took care of Mama too!" He said, grinning up at her.

"Mmhm! So, we need to help her out the best we can, okay Shippou-chan? Can you do that for me?" She asked, raising her eyes brows at him. He laughed as she did.

"Hai!"

Kagome smiled at his enthusiasm and then pursed her lips together when she remembered what Kaede told her on the phone.

_"Ah, thank ye so much for helping, Kagome-chan." Her aged voice croaked as it spoke._

_"No problem, Kaede-baachan, Shippou-chan and I owe so much to you and the orphanage." She replied with a tone of happiness. "Have you had any businesses reply?"_

_"Oh, yes. Ye must have done very well at persuading them, Kagome-chan! We have had two small businesses say they were going to set up a toy drive in their shops as well as a fund box! Oh, and we have one of the large corporations respond!"_

_"Only three?" Kagome frowned at the number. That wasn't very many considering how many children were in the orphanage. Didn't people have a heart anymore?_

_"Tsk, tsk, Kagome-chan," Kaede scolded. "Ye know to be thankful for anything we can get."_

_"I know, but still…" She said with a sigh. "So, who was the big one?"_

_"The Ty-show Corp?" Her tone was puzzled as if trying to remember the name._

_"T-T-Taisho?" Kagome shouted, nearly knocking over the stir fry that she was cooking. "That's great Kaede-baachan! They are a multi-billion dollar company! I pleaded with the secretary and told her my sob story for almost an hour before she agreed. I kind of though she only agreed to get rid of me, but this is great!" _

_"Yes, and it is all thanks to ye. Oh, I forgot to tell ye we have a new addition…a little girl."_

_"What? Are you kidding me? It's almost Christmas!" Kagome nearly screamed into the phone, causing Shippou to crash his Lego creation._

_"I know. 'Tis sad indeed. Apparently her family had adopted her from a different orphanage in Kyoto, but they just couldn't handle a mute. They thought they could get her to talk, so they adopted her, but couldn't get her to speak a single word." Kaede sighed and whispered low into the phone. "She still has yet to say a word since she arrived. I do not know about this one, Kagome-chan."_

_"How long did the family have her before they brought her?"_

_"Only two months. The kids are already beginning to pick on her. Ye know how that is."_

_"That's ridiculous! I'll do my best to get her to talk when we get there tomorrow. Hopefully I can get her to do something." _

"Shippou-chan," Kagome spoke, her tone serious. "I forgot to tell you there is a new little girl at the orphanage. But, she can't talk and the kids are being mean to her," She saw his brows furrow in anger. "So you will have to help me make her feel welcome, okay?"

He nodded quickly. "Hai! I'll protect her from the mean kids!"

She smiled sadly at his enthusiasm. She knew that he was once again thinking about when he was tortured by the other kids.

She continued to walk with him until they reached the orphanage entrance. They hiked up the massive amount of stairs and onto the courtyard of the run down shrine. The concrete of the shrine was cracked and broken, the weeds now covered by the thin layer of snow. There was a rusted playground set in the far corner, one of the chains holding a swing was broken, leaving it hanging down awkwardly. A large crack was in the slide, making it a common dare for the children to throw at each other. There was an old well house that was boarded up due to the lack of water it refused to give. The large house was run-down looking, the wood beyond weather worn.

Nothing had changed.

They walked over to the house and she twisted the rusted handle on the door. The door stuck for a moment and she gave it a good shove with her shoulder, causing it to creak open loudly.

"Konbonwa!" Kagome called and began to walk towards the kitchen, Shippou trailing behind her.

"Kagome-neesan!" A chorus of voices cried before the floorboards cried in protest as the children ran towards her. She smiled as they gathered around her and began to hug them each in turn.

"How is everyone? You guys ready for dinner?" She asked, smiling as she pulled off her coat. One of the children, Suki, took it from her and waited for Shippou to take off his before she ran off to hang them on the coat rack by the door.

"Hai!" They chimed happily, looking up at their sister with hopeful eyes.

"Let's see who are we missing? We have Suki, Sayo, Toran, Ruri, Hari, Tsuyu, Koume, Muji…Where is Kohaku?" Kagome asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"Here, Kagome-neesan!" The boy said as he walked into the kitchen, his hand gently holding the little girl's behind him. She looked maybe eight, but she couldn't tell by all the dirt and mangled hair around her.

Kagome smiled down at her and squatted down to be eye level with her, causing the girl to flinch slightly before trying to pull away, but Kohaku held her tight. "Ah, hello, you must be the new girl. I'm Kagome, what's your name?"

"Ch, don't mind yourself with the runt. She doesn't speak a word." One of the children spoke up.

"Yeah, I think she's dumb. Who can't even talk?"

"Maybe she's slow."

Kagome watched as the little girl's face fell and she stared down at the floor. The three gulped and widened their eyes when Kagome sent them evil death stares. "Shame on all of you! You know how it is to be the new kid. I am thoroughly disappointed with you three. No dessert for you!" She scolded.

"B-b-but Kagome-neesan! That's not fair!" They cried.

"Then you apologize right now!" She demanded. She watched as they bowed to the girl and murmured a set of apologies. "Good, now off with you so I can cook." They nodded before running out of the room with the rest of the kids. "Now, where were we?" She asked, smiling once more at the girl.

"Her name is Rin, Kagome-neesan. That's what Kaede-baachan said." Kohaku said and looked at the little girl behind him.

"Is that right? Rin-chan?" She looked at the girl, making sure to keep a kind smile. Her large brown eyes stared at Kagome for a while before she nodded slowly. "Ah, what a pretty name! It suits you very well!" The little girl blushed a bit before hiding behind Kohaku.

"Kagome-neesan, she is afraid of everything. She won't let Kaede give her a bath or brush her hair. She doesn't trust anyone." He said softly and went to pat the girl on the head, but she quickly revved back, dodging his hand. He let out a heavy sigh. "See?"

"Hmm, I do. Why don't you go play with the kids, Kohaku-chan? I will keep her here with me." She said and gave him a hug before he ran towards the living room with the other children. She then turned to Rin who was staring at her. "Say, Rin-chan, would you like to help me cook?" The girl blinked and then looked around uncertainly, fiddling with the hem of her stained, torn shirt with her dirty hands. She then nodded slowly and followed her as she walked towards the sink.

"Before we start we have to wash our hands, okay?" Kagome turned on the water and waited until it warmed up. She pulled up her sleeves and began to wash her hands with the dish soap. She then dried them before taking out the ingredients from the bags. As she pulled them out, she glanced over her shoulder to see Rin hiking up her loose sleeves and stretching towards the faucet to wash her hands. She couldn't help but smile.

*~~~CH~~~*

After dinner, the children went to play video games in the living room while Kaede and Kagome sat at the dinning room table, sipping on their tea. Kaede looked up from her steaming mug and focused on Kagome with her one eye.

"Thank ye again, Kagome-chan." She said, nodding at the woman she had raised.

"No problem, Kaede-baachan. We'll stop by each day on the weekend and I'll see if I can squeeze in some days during the week." She said and wrapped her hands around her cup, enjoying the warmth of it.

Kaede waved her hand at her. "Do not push ye self, child. We will not be going anywhere." She said with a smile.

"I know, but I want to work with Rin. I think I can make progress with her. She helped me with dinner and even stayed to help Shippou and I clean up." Kagome said, nibbling on her bottom lip.

"Ah, that is good, but I want her to speak." She said with a sigh. "It will be hard to find parents who will want to adopt a mute."

"I know, I'm going to try my best." Kagome said determinedly before taking a sip of her hot tea. "So, did the Taisho Corp. say what kind of fundraiser they will be doing?"

"Hmm, the lady I spoke with said they will do something different for each week. I think this week was the clothes drive. They should be delivering it tomorrow." Kaede said, smiling. "Which is good because it is only going to get colder and they do not have many clothes."

Kagome nodded in agreement before checking the time. "Ah, I have to get Shippou to bed soon. We will be over early tomorrow morning to help all day. I would have come over earlier today, but Shippou was at school and I had work."

Kaede reached across the table and put her wrinkled, calloused hand on Kagome's. "Do not fret, Kagome-chan. Ye already do too much."

Kagome gripped her cup tightly. "I feel like I don't do enough, Kaede-baachan. You took me in when I was seven and protected me from the other kids. Then, you let me adopt Shippou a few years ago. You've helped me build my life the way it is today." She said softly.

The elder lady squeezed her hand. "Ye were the best suitor for him. He only liked and listened to ye."

Kagome smiled and stood up, taking her cup to the sink and rinsing it out. She then walked over to her mother-like figure and hugged her. "I'll see you tomorrow." She then called for Shippou as she walked to the door. She slid on her coat and buttoned it up. Shippou appeared from the living room and grinned up at his mother as she helped him put his coat on.

"You're leaving, Kagome-neesan?" Kohaku asked, frowning. The other kids were gathered around the entry way, looking at the two with sad gazes.

"Hai, but we will be back first thing tomorrow morning, so no long faces!" She smiled at them and gave them all hugs. She was surprised when Shippou offered them hugs as well. She went to turn back to the door when she saw Rin poking her head into the scene from the hallway. She gave her a kind smile, "Goodnight, Rin-chan! I'll see you tomorrow!" She waved at the girl and smiled wider when the girl gave her a little wave back. With that the pair left, heading towards their home.

**A/N: Yayyy! Next chapter will be Sesshoumaru! :3**


	3. The Scrooge

**A/N: Thank you my reviewers! You guys are awesome! I'm thankful for all my readers :3 Now it's time to meet the grumpy Sesshou!**

**-MissKatt**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters. All credit goes to the amazing Takahashi-san!

_**A Christmas Healing**_

_**By: MissKatt**_

Chapter Two: The Scrooge

The boss's assistant glanced at the time with her crimson colored eyes. Only an hour left of the work day. Thank Kami! She stretched out her arms and then picked up her trusty red pen before glancing down at the large calendar pad that took over the greater portion of her oak desk. She ran her eyes along the dates and landed on the current day. Saturday, December 7th read: Last Day for Clothes Drive! She had circled it and underlined it several times. She looked over at the bin that was placed in the corner and saw that it barely had any clothing items in it. She thought back to the raven haired human that had cried to her earlier last week. She shuddered at the thought of the girl coming back with her sob stories.

She stood up from her desk and slammed a thick paper fan down on her desk, gaining the attention of her employees. "Listen up, whelps! Today is the last day for the Clothing Drive. Why does it appear to be nearly empty? Must I remind you that if not everyone contributes, I personally will have to go out and buy all those orphans clothes. Do you know that that means? That means I will have Taisho-san deduct it from your Christmas bonuses. Understood? You have until the end of the work day!"

"H-Hai, Kumo-san!" Her employees said, fear of losing their bonuses driving them to ask to leave early so they may go and shop for children's clothes.

"Sakura," A stern voice spoke from behind her.

"Hai, Taisho-san?" She turned around to look at her boss before flopping down in her plush chair. He was as stunning as always. He had his unnaturally long, silky, white hair in a ponytail that sat at the nape of his neck. He wore black slacks and a crisp white collared shirt equipped with a black blazer. Two magenta stripes adored each cheek; his golden eyes ran over her face suspiciously.

"What is this about a Christmas bonus? I spoke of no such thing." He inquired, leaning against the door frame of his office.

She turned her attention back to her calendar, looking over what next week held for them, as she replied, "Because our company has exceeded its expectations this year, especially this month, so your employees deserve an extra bonus. Besides, Sesshoumaru-san, it is Christmas."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Christmas does not mean bonuses. There is no reason for it."

She turned towards him, matching his glare as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I am your secretary, Sesshoumaru-san. I've been by your side for years now, practically helping you run your business. Every year I give your employees a bonus, but you never knew because I never told you. Now that I told you, you say no yet it has not been a problem before. So, stop being a scrooge and get over it for I am going to give them one anyways."

"Hn." He turned his head from her before retreating back into his office. He resisted the urge to slam the door shut; he was not a scrooge. Why did he even keep that infuriating woman around anyways? He knew the answer: she was the best at what she did. Plus, she was technically right; they had more than enough funds. However, that wasn't the point.

The inuyoukai sat down in his leather chair and turned it to peer out the wall length window behind his desk. He looked down at the bustling people walking around on the sidewalks, their hands full with shopping bags or coffee or even the hand of another as they walked with their mates. All the cheery people, and they were _everywhere_, drove him mad. He believed that Christmas was not a time to be celebrated. He found no joy in Christmas, even hated it. For him, there was nothing to celebrate.

"Sesshoumaru-san." Sakura's voice came from the door. He swiveled in his chair to look at her. His raised eyebrow was her only response. "A letter came for you just now." Her tone told him everything he needed to know.

"Burn it." He commanded, turning away from her and towards the window once more.

She rolled her blood red eyes. "I didn't even tell you who it's from."

"You did not have to. Your tone said it all. Besides, there is only one letter that you continue to bring me every year." He pressed his fingertips together, narrowing his eyes at the window without actually seeing through it.

"You do not care what your father has to say?" She didn't know what happened between her boss and his father, but he would never speak about it or to him when he called. He always told her to take a message and then throw it away. How could you hate someone that much?

"No, I do not. Now, discard of it or I will of you."

She rolled her eyes once more. "Empty threats do not work on me. You should know of this already, Sesshou-kun."

His eyes narrowed when she used the nickname. He hated it, yes, but did not bother to yell at her for it. It never did any good.

When she didn't get a reply, she walked further into his office and set the letter on his desk before receding from the room.

Sesshoumaru heard the door click shut and turned to look at the letter that was staring at him from his desk. With great mental debate, he reached over and snatched the envelope. He used a single claw to rip the fold of the envelope open and then proceeded to pull out the tacky Christmas card. On the front was a 'winter wonderland' painting with a single sleigh being pulled by a dark brown horse. His eye twitched slightly before flipping open the card; his eyes then narrowed into slits at the family photo. His father stood next to his _new_ son: Inuyasha. The hanyou was in his late teens, perhaps in his very early twenties. In front of the two was Touga's wife, Izayoi, his mind supplied, her hand on her husband's as it rested on her shoulder.

His amber eyes studied the portrait for a moment before moving down to his father's elegant script.

'_The picture is not complete without you, Sesshoumaru. I miss you immensely, my son. Will you ever drop the grudge you hold for me? –Taisho Touga, your father.' _

Sesshoumaru crumpled the card in his hand before his poison began to eat at it, melting it into a pile of smut. "I will not." He muttered, swiping the ash from his desk. He could never forgive his father for taking another woman and killing his mother.

*~~~CH~~~*

"Damn that woman," Sesshoumaru grumbled as he pulled up to the orphanage. He got out of the car before walking around to the trunk to retrieve the large sack full of clothes. How had he, the owner of Taisho Corp., end up delivering the package to the orphanage? He hadn't even been aware that they had a 'Clothes Drive' going on, but he did not miss the bright orange post-it note that had been stuck to the outside of his door; it nearly blinded him when he went to lock his door.

'_Sesshou-kun, you have to take the bag of clothes in the corner to the orphanage. We promised to help every week. Don't make me, and Taisho Corp., look bad! So don't be a scrooge and take it to them! _

_–Love , Sakura!'_

So, there he was, trudging up the stairs with the bag of clothes. When he reached the top, he took a quick survey of his surroundings. The place was a dump. Everything was broken, including the ground, and unsafe for even youkai children to play on. He made his way to the aged door and knocked on it lightly.

Hmm, on second thought, he may as well just set the bag down and leave it there. He did as such and turned to leave the tattered shrine-turned-orphanage.

But, fate had other plans for him.

"Please, Rin-chan, let me give you a bath? I promise you will feel much better. I know these new clothes are too big for you, but at least they are clean and not as stained. Plus, they don't have any holes." Kagome pleaded with the girl, but she just shook her head furiously, clinging to her ragged clothes.

She sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "Alright, I won't make you, Rin-chan." She said and gave the girl a small smile. She held out her hand to the girl as she stood up. "Will you at least help me make dinner again?" Rin nodded with a smile and then stared dangerously at the older woman's hand. With a shaky hand, she reached out and grabbed uncertainly at Kagome's hand.

'Progress!' Kagome cheered in her head before leading the girl down the stairs and to the kitchen. She let go of the girl's hand in order for the pair to wash their hands before going back to her simmering sauce.

"Alright Rin-chan, I've already cut up the veggies and the meat is cooking," She paused when she heard a knocking at the door. "I wonder who what could be?" Excitement filled her at the thought of promising parents for one of her orphans. Before she knew it, she was running towards the entry way. She quickly grabbed the handle and pulled open the door. She blinked when she saw the black trash bag on the door step. She looked up to see a woman with a long silver ponytail walking away from the house.

"W-wait!" She shouted. As the 'woman' turned around, she saw that it was in fact a male, a _youkai_ male. Oh and was he handsome! She stared at his face, taking in his golden eyes, magenta facial stripes, and the dark blue crescent moon in the middle of his forehead.

"Can I assist you in some way?" His was tired of females staring at him. Although for a human, she was quite pretty. Her sapphire eyes gleamed in the setting sun, her ebony hair reflecting a soft orange hue.

"U-um, yes! Did you drop this off?" She asked as she ran up to close the distance between them, mentally slapping herself at the obviousness of the situation.

"Indeed." He took in her state of clothing. Her sleeves were rolled up, the knees of her jeans covered in dirt. Was she an orphan too? A little too old to be an orphan in his opinion. "It is for the drive."

"Oh, that's right! What company are you from again..?" She asked, offering him an embarrassed smile.

Did she really not know who he was? "Taisho Corp." He stated as if it were the most obvious thing.

"O-oh! Well, it looks like you guys have gathered quite a bit of clothes for us. Thank you so much! Please tell your boss thank you as well for the generous donation! The children really need it." She said with a soft sigh, sneaking a glance back at the house.

She still did not know? He was in many magazines and had had a few interviews on the news stations. Everyone knew about Taisho Corp. and who owned it. Did this human really not know? "We are glad to help." He replied and then turned to go.

"Oh, wait!" She said and grasped his gloved hand.

He flinched at the sudden contact, but she didn't release him. "Yes?"

"Please, won't you stay for dinner? I know the children will want to thank you personally. It would mean a lot to them to put a face to the people who are helping them out in such a way." She looked up at him with pleading eyes, her lips curled into a hopeful half smile.

"I really cannot. I have things I have to tend to." Why did he suddenly feel guilty?

"Please…" She gave his hand a squeeze, her brows furrowing. "They need to know that someone still cares."

Hn, he did not care. He just didn't want his company to look bad by backing out on their word. However, the helplessness in her eyes pushed him to accept. "Alright." Ugh, the last thing he need was a dinner with a bunch of kids who probably had no table manners at all due to the lack of parental guidance. He flinched as she squealed in delight.

"Thank you, thank you so much! And trust me; it will be a good meal! I'm a pretty good cook." She gave him a wink as she began to pull him back towards the house by his hand. As they walked to the door, she released his hand to pick up the heavy bag. When they entered the house, he watched as the kids gathered once she had called for them.

"Children, this is..." She paused and then blushed and looked down at the floor in horror when she realized she hadn't even asked him his name.

"Taisho Sesshoumaru." He supplied and then inwardly smirked when he saw the girl stiffen. Realization of who he was had just dawned on her.

"T-T-Taisho-san has brought clothes that he and his company had gathered," She stammered and watched at the kids began to walk towards the bag. "Wait, I want you guys all to thank him properly first!"

"Arigato, Taisho-san!" The choired, bending down low to him. He nodded to them and then glanced to his side to see a dirt-clad little girl peeking out shyly from behind a wall. When they made eye contact, she quickly ducked back into the kitchen.

"May I offer you a cup of tea?" Kagome asked, smiling at him as she ushered him towards the kitchen as the kids began to go through the bag of clothes.

He followed her into the kitchen and sat down in the chair she gestured to. He glanced around the kitchen, taking in its shabby appearance. All the appliances: stove, oven, fridge, even the sink, were slightly rusted. The kitchen window was cracked and the wood around it was sun-faded. The cupboards were stained with age and water damage, hinting that perhaps the roof was not too sturdy when it came to the rainy weather. His eyes then fell to the floor and saw how the tile was dingy to the point that no amount of cleaning would help, not to mention a few of them were cracked as well. How could people live like this?

The youkai blinked when he suddenly saw a pair of two dirty little feet. He looked up and saw the little girl from earlier holding out saucer with a cup of steaming tea on it. He carefully took it from her and voiced his gratitude. "Thank you."

She blinked before offering him a wide smile, her brown eyes closing as she did before running back over to the stove.

"Add them slowly, Rin-chan. You don't want to spill, remember?" Kagome chided gently before walking over to the table and sitting down on the corner seat of the table, a small 'L' shape between her and Sesshoumaru. The little girl nodded enthusiastically as she slowly stirred in the vegetables. "I must apologize, Taisho-san. I didn't know who you were when I first saw you." She spoke as she gazed down into her tea.

"I will admit it is the first time it has happened." He commented, raising his eyes to look at her. "Do you also have a name?"

"Ah! I'm sorry! Yes, I'm Higurashi Kagome. It is a pleasure to meet you, Taisho-san!" She said, smiling at him.

This girl smiled too much. "The pleasure is mine." Formality had always been pushed on him since he was little.

"I know I have said this multiple times, but really, Taisho-san, thank you so much for helping out." He watched as her hands tightened on the mug. "Many people don't even spare us a second look."

"Us? So you are an orphan here as well?" He asked, raising a brow at her as he gazed at her over his cup.

"Oh, no! I live on my own with my ten year old son." She said with a small smile. "But I was an orphan here at one time, so I feel like I am in debt to it and the caretaker."

"Your son?" He echoed. Surely she looked too young to have a child of that age.

"Yes, I adopted him from here when I was twenty-two. Young, I know, but he wouldn't respond to anyone else. Kaede-baachan, the caretaker here, decided I was the best person when I confronted her with my intentions to adopt him." She commented and stared down into her tea, smiling at the thought.

"Hn," He replied. Just how old was she? Surely she couldn't be a day older than twenty four? He then looked over when he saw the little girl approach them. A small blush was on her cheeks and she fumbled with the garment in her hand before raising it up. She made a small noise as she held it out with one hand, pointing at herself with the other.

Seeing his puzzled expression, Kagome set down her cup of tea on the table and then moved to kneel down next to the girl. "She is asking if she could have this." She voiced, taking the yellow and orange dress from her hands. Kagome was quick to notice the price tag still on it. She blinked and then looked at Sesshoumaru. "This is brand new!"

"And?" He asked. Was that unacceptable? "Is that bad?"

"N-No! Not at all. It's just not expected. Usually they only receive hand-me-downs." She said and then handed the dress back to the little girl who was staring at Sesshoumaru with wide, questioning brown eyes. The woman glanced at the girl before looking back at Sesshoumaru. "She still wants you answer."

He raised a brow at Kagome before looking down at the little girl again. "It is for you." He stated and watched as her face lit up; a large smile erupting onto her face. She bowed low to him, clutching the fabric in her hands tightly.

"Rin-chan," Kagome said gently, gaining the girl's attention once she straightened back up. "Why don't you go take a bath and get all cleaned up before you put on the dress? That way you can show him how pretty it is on you." When the girl glanced at the stove, Kagome continued. "I will watch the curry. Go on!"

Rin nodded happily before taking off towards the only bathroom in the orphanage. Kagome smiled contently as she watched her go before standing back up. "Wow, she must like you, Taisho-san."

"Why is that, Higurashi-san?" He asked, watching her as she walked towards the stove to stir the food that was cooking.

"She wouldn't let any of us give her a bath. She refused to change the clothes she was in. Something tragic must have happened to that girl for she doesn't trust anyone." She breathed, sighing softly.

"Tragic?"

"She will not speak, as I'm sure you have noticed. We can't get her to say anything."

"Hn." He replied, sipping his tea. Yet she believed that little human girl liked _him_? Him of all people? How odd.

**A/N: Yayyy! Hope you guys like it!**


	4. Dinner

**A/N: Thank you my reviewers! :3**

**-MissKatt**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters. All credit goes to the amazing Takahashi-san!

_**A Christmas Healing**_

_**By: MissKatt**_

Chapter Three: Dinner

"Ah, Rin-chan! You look so pretty!" Kagome praised as the little girl walked into the kitchen. All the dirt was free from her person and she glowed with cleanliness. The orphan blushed and walked over to Sesshoumaru before bowing low to him in thanks.

"Clean suits you better." He commented and watched as she straightened up, a large grin on her face. She nodded enthusiastically at him before helping Kagome dish out the servings for dinner as the children piled in around the table.

"I think you may have just helped me solve our bathing issue with her." She laughed as she set down his plate in front of him. He eyed her before giving her a curt nod, looking down at the plate of curry. The smelled wafted up into his nostrils, filling his sinuses with a delicious scent. Once everyone settled in their seats, Rin sitting next to her new friend, they gathered their hands together in a prayer.

Wait, what?

Sesshoumaru did not agree to such a thing. He looked at the little girl to his right who was holding her small hand up to him. He then glanced to his left, looking at Kagome as she sat at the head of the table. Awkwardly, he held out his hands and each of the girls grabbed one and begun their prayer to Kami-sama to thank him for the food and their health.

Once they finished, they began to happily dig into their food. He studied them each carefully. None of them had their elbows on the table, none spoke with their mouths full, and none chewed with their mouths open. He was shocked to see they actually had manners.

"Taisho-san, is it true you have been running your business since you were seventeen?" Sayo asked, looking at their guest.

"It is." He replied, setting his spoon down as he answered the girl. How did she know?

"That is so awesome! I want to be business man when I get older!" Muji said with a grin and then balled his hand into a fist before tossing it up into the air. "Yosh! I will become a successful business man like Taisho-san!"

"Yeah right, Muji-kun, math is your worst subject!" Suki commented, sticking her tongue out at the boy as he fumed at her.

"T-that's why you hire other people to do the math for you! Right, Taisho-san?" He asked, looking at the inuyoukai with bright eyes.

"I suppose." He took another bite from the curry, hoping it would cease the questions.

It didn't.

"Anyways," Sayo drew out the word as she glared at Muji. She then turned her attention back to Sesshoumaru. "I read in Japan Weekly that you graduated high school early. Did you have to wait until you graduated? Is that why you didn't take over the business sooner?"

She was a cunning little girl. "Indeed. That was the condition set by my father." He explained. Why was he supplying these strangers with his information?

"Wow! How nice of your father!" She cooed and then her face fell a little, making an odd pang in his heart.

"Indeed." It was actually the least his father could have done after everything.

"What do you want to be when you grow up, Rin-chan?" Kagome asked, trying to change the subject from parents to something else.

The little girl opened her mouth, sparking a hope in Kagome, but snapping it shut. The woman sighed as her hopes were crushed. She looked at Sesshoumaru as he gazed down at the girl. "Do you know what you want to be?" He asked.

The girl quickly turned her attention to Sesshoumaru and nodded, a blush on her cheeks. She turned and pointed towards the TV. Everyone followed her gaze and began to shout out answers.

"An actress?"

"A singer!"

"A salesman?"

"A chef!"

"A reporter?"

Rin clapped her hands together and nodded with a large smile. Muji snorted and rolled his eyes at her. "You need to speak in order to do that!"

As the little girl's face fell, Sesshoumaru felt a small spark fuel him. "You can speak. You just choose not to." He commented. She looked at him and smiled kindly at him. He reached out and patted her head, much to his own disbelief, smoothing out her hair. He felt the other kids stare jealously at her.

"That's what Mama wants to do!" Shippou spoke up, pushing his plate away as he finished his dinner.

"Not exactly, Shippou-chan." Kagome said with a kind smile. She stood up and began to collect the kids' dishes.

"Oh, then what is it?" He asked as she came over to collect his plate.

"I want to be a journalist. I would love to travel and write about things that inspire me." She said and nodded at the children when they asked to be excused from the table.

Shippou suddenly looked sad as he looked down at the table. "But, Mama can't because of me?" He asked shyly.

She balanced the plates in one hand before bending down to kiss the top of his head. "Not at all, Shippou-chan. If I were to become a journalist, you would be coming with me. But at the moment, I am very content being a teacher." He beamed up at her before leaping from the table to go play with the other kids.

Kagome brought the plates to the sink and turned on the water. Rin walked over with her and Sesshoumaru's plate and began to wash them. "Say, Rin-chan, why don't you go play with the other kids? I can do the dishes." The girl looked up at her with a shocked look before she shook her head, her hand finding the hem of Kagome's shirt. "Okay, okay, you don't have to." She sighed and looked over at their guest as he watched the scene from the table. "Tea?"

"Yes," He spoke up, keeping his eyes on the little girl. Why did she allow herself to get bullied? Did she not know that children festered upon those who showed weakness? When the cup was put down in front of him, he nodded to Kagome in thanks. "The kit is your son?"

"Huh? Oh! Yes, he's the one I was telling you about." She said, smiling at him.

"Hn." He replied and the two fell into a comfortable silence.

"Ah, thank you for indulging the children, Taisho-san." She spoke up after a little. "I think they need an idol of some sort and you are a great candidate."

He eyed the smile on her face with his amber eyes. "I'm not, Higurashi-san." He admitted, surprising even himself.

"I suppose no one truly is," She commented. "Everyone has their dark secrets, but to children they don't exist and it's better if it stays that way." She smiled once more.

He nodded at her logic and sipped at his tea before glancing at his watch. He downed his tea and stood from his chair. "I must be going."

"O-oh," She said, a pinch of disappointment in her tone. Why was that? She stood up and walked towards him. "I will walk you out."

He did not protest her company as they walked to the entry way and out the front door. He turned to say his good-byes and watched as she bowed to him. "I'm probably annoying you like crazy, but, thank you again, so much, Taisho-san!"

He raised a brow. He was not used to being thanked so much for something he was obliged to do. "Thank you for the food, Higurashi-san."

"Please, call me Kagome." She said, smiling at him as she straightened.

He nodded at her in acknowledged and then turned to leave. He walked two steps before he paused, a soft cry coming from behind him. He turned around once more in time to see the little girl approach him before latching onto his leg in a hug. He looked up at Kagome uncertainly. She smiled encouragingly at him and he looked down at the girl once more before patting her on the head like he had down at the dinner table. She then stepped back and waved up at him before retreating to Kagome's side.

"Good-bye, Taisho-san." Kagome said, holding Rin's hand.

"Good-bye, Kagome-san." For the third time, he turned from them and headed down the shrine steps towards his car.

*~~~CH~~~*

"Sesshou-kun~." Sakura cooed as she walked into her boss's office.

Sesshoumaru glanced up at his secretary from his mounds of paperwork. "Did you need something?"

"So, how did last night go?" She asked coyly, grinning wickedly at him as she walked over to his desk, leaning onto it with her elbows.

"Hn. I dropped off the clothes. That was it." He said and turned his attention back to the papers on his desk.

"Oh? Hmm, well our messenger from downstairs brought this up for you." She said and handed him an envelope. "It's from a Higurashi Kagome." Sakura wiggled her eye brows suggestively at him. "Who's that? A lady friend? Or perhaps you knocked up some girl when you were in high school? Ohh, drama!"

He grabbed the envelope from her. "Get out."

She pursed her lips together before releasing a disappointed sigh. "Fine." She huffed before storming out of his office.

The owner of Taisho Corp. waited until she was gone to open the envelope. He pulled out a simple looking card with a cartoon Rudolph on it. He let himself smile briefly at the image of it before he flipped it open to read its contents.

_Taisho-san,_

_We thank you so, so much for the generous donation and for your company at dinner! We hope to see you next weekend!_

_-Sincerely, _

_Kagome, Rin, and the children at the orphanage._

He couldn't help but have a small smile from the warmth in the card. He couldn't believe how thankful a person could be for something such as a bag of clothes. Did these people really have so little? He shut the card and set it on his desk, the card propped up so the picture stared back at him. He thought back to the woman he had met. She was so…bubbly. The only time he had seen her remotely unhappy is when she would talk about the state of the children and her worries for them. Other than that, there was always a smile on her face. Did she ever grow tired of it?

He stood from his chair and gathered his coat, slipping it on and buttoning it up. He pulled his ponytail from the confinement of the jacket against his back and tugged on to his gloves. He exited his office and paused briefly by his secretary's desk. "I will be eating out for lunch."

"Would you like some company?" She asked with a smile, looking up at him.

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "That will not be necessary." He did not miss the disappointment in her face.

"Oh, alright. Well, have a good lunch, Taisho-san." She murmured and looked down at her papers as he walked past her and towards the elevator. He took it down to the first level and proceeded to exit the building. He stepped onto the crowded sidewalk and began to walk with no real destination. He sighed softly, a puff of white air forming in front of his lips, as he continued down the sidewalk.

"Taisho-san!"

He turned at the familiar voice and saw Kagome walking towards him with Rin and Shippou at her side. He stopped his walking and waited for the small group to catch up to him. "Kagome-san, Rin, Shippou." He nodded to them.

She smiled at him with her brilliant smile. "How nice to see you again! Did you get our card?" She asked, walking alongside him now. Rin had somehow managed to move around to the other side of him, trapping him between the two females.

"I did. It is appreciated." He commented, looking at Kagome. She was stunning today. She wore a thick crimson v-neck sweater and dark blue jeans that disappeared into a pair of knee-high flat boots. Her ebony hair was tied into a braid and hung over her right shoulder.

"Oh, no, we are the thankful ones!" She let out a soft laugh and smiled once more.

There it was again. That smile. "Where are you headed to?"

"We were out to get a few groceries, but I think we are going to go grab a bite to eat." She smiled down at Shippou as he tugged happily at her hand. She was happy for the distraction. She knew if she looked back up she would continue to stare at the handsome man in front of her. She couldn't see his shirt, but his black pea coat matched his black slacks. His silver hair was in a long flowing ponytail behind him, his amber eyes gleaming in the winter sun.

"Barbeque?" He asked, grinning up in hope at his mother.

She let out an awkward chuckle. "Um, maybe after the holidays, Shippou-chan." She knew how much the child ate and could definitely not afford her, Shippou, and Rin.

Sesshoumaru watched the disappointment droop his features. "Oh, okay, Mama."

Curse it all; he was going to be…nice again. "I think barbeque sounds appetizing." He commented and gazed down at the boy as hope filled his eyes, a large grin forming on his face once more.

Kagome got what he was hinting at. "N-no, Taisho-san! We couldn't possibly accept such a generous offer."

"Nonsense. I am out for my lunch break and I would like company." He replied, his molten honey eyes now focusing on her.

She blushed under his gaze. Oh, no, Kagome! Don't start blushing now! "A-are you sure?"

"Of course. I do not go back on my word." The inuyoukai responded.

"Alright, Taisho-san, if you're sure." Her smile returned and he glanced forward to lead them towards the barbeque restaurant.

"Yay! Barbeque!" Shippou cheered, looking over at Rin who was as equally happy.

**A/N: Woot, woot! :3 Let me know what you think!**


	5. Intrigued

**A/N: Oh my goodness. I must honestly say I did not expect so many fans for this fic! None the less, I am quite thankful! Thank you for all the reviews!**

**Side note: this is a week after his first delivery :3**

**-MissKatt**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters. All credit goes to the amazing Takahashi-san!

_**A Christmas Healing**_

_**By: MissKatt**_

Chapter Four: Intrigued

Sakura yawned loudly and leaned back in her swivel chair at her desk. She blinked her eyes tiredly and rubbed at them vigorously with the palm of her hands. She let out a soft sigh and then turned to her desk calendar. Today was the last day of the toy drive and she had been dubbed the person deliver the toys to the orphanage. She glanced at the box in the corner and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was full of toys; at least her co-workers were starting the get the hint.

"I'm already working over time." She murmured, looking back down at her wrist watch. She huffed annoyingly and swiveled in her chair to look at Sesshoumaru's closed door. He had been called into a last minute meeting nearly 40 minutes ago and gave no head way of how long it would be.

She felt a vibrating sensation on her desk and her eyes traveled to her cell phone. She flipped it open and read the text from her mother saying her cousins had arrived early. She quickly texted back her reply, _'__I__'__ll__be__there__in__fifteen.__'__,_and shut her phone before withdrawing her handy bright orange sticky notes and trusty red pen.

*~~~CH~~~*

"Let's see, Shippou-chan, what should we make tonight?" Kagome pondered, staring at the pantry of the orphanage's kitchen. There wasn't much to work with. She mentally kicked herself for not coming prepared. But, she had gotten off of work late and didn't have the time to run to store after picking up her son.

"Hmm, noodles?" The kit questioned and pointed to the shelf in front of him. She bent down to his level and peered onto the shelf. Sure enough, there were two 'family sized' boxes of Udon noodles.

"Udon it is." She said with a smile and pulled the dusty boxes from their spot. She rummaged through the fridge and pulled out a few more ingredients she deemed usable for dinner. She then reached up into the top cupboard and grabbed a variety of spices.

"Can I go play, Mama?" Shippou asked, following her as she roamed around the kitchen, gathering her supplies.

She turned to look at him. "Sure, Shippou-chan, but will you go find Rin and Kohaku for me first, please?" She asked, shooting him a big smile. He nodded enthusiastically before running off to go find the two. A few minutes later, the pair entered the kitchen.

"Kagome-neesan!" Kohaku chimed happily and hugged her tightly around the waist. "When did you get here?"

She hugged him back as she responded, "A few moments ago. I wanted to make sure I could find something to cook before I told you guys I was here." She said with a laugh.

"I'm surprised you found anything." He said honestly, eyeing the pot of boiling water on the stove as he pulled away.

Kagome turned towards the freshly bathed Rin and smiled, opening her arms to her. Rin, hesitant as always, slowly made her way towards Kagome and wrapped her arms around her waist. Kagome smiled before hugging the girl back, noticing how the girl flinched slightly. What had happened in this little girl's life? She released the girl and then gasped when the girl looked up at her. A large bluish-purple bruise stained the underneath of her eye. "Rin-chan!" She exclaimed and kneeled down to be eye-level with the girl. "What happened?"

Rin looked away shyly and pulled away from Kagome when she tried to touch the girl's face. Kagome furrowed her brows and gently stroked her hair, trying to comfort her pain. She turned and looked at Kohaku when he spoke, "She won't tell us what happened."

"Are the other kids still picking on her?" Kagome asked sharply, anger swelling in her.

"Yeah, but she won't tell us who did it." The boy said with a sigh. "I've tried to get her to point them out, but she refuses."

"Rin-chan," Kagome began, taking the little girl's hands in her own. "You have to tell me who did this to you. This is unacceptable behavior!" Rin just shook her head, staring blankly down at Kagome's hands. Uttering a soft sigh, Kagome released her hands. "Alright, well, why don't you wash up so you can help me cook?" The little girl nodded and walked over to the sink. Kagome's brows furrowed once more when she saw the slight hobble in the girl's step.

"I'm sorry, Kagome-neesan." Kohaku spoke softly, drawing the woman's attention to him.

"For what, Kohaku-chan? You didn't do it." She stood up and brushed the dirt from her knees. She would have to clean the house before Christmas came.

"For not protecting her. I should have been paying more attention and watching her more." He fiddled with his thumbs, frowning deeply.

Kagome was touched. She placed her hand on the boy's shoulder. "Thank you for saying that, Kohaku-chan. But, it isn't quite your responsibility."

"I know, but still…it's not fair." He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I understand, but until she says who it is, we can't do anything about it." She smiled at him reassuringly and gave him a gentle shove. "Go play, Kohaku-chan, you've deserved it. I'll watch her." He nodded meekly before running off to go find the other kids.

Kagome walked over to the waiting Rin and slowly moved of piece of her hair behind her ear, trying not to startle her. "May I tie your beautiful hair back, Rin-chan? I don't want it to get dirty while you cook." After a moment of thinking, the little girl nodded and turned around so that her back was to Kagome. Running her fingers through the girl's thick black hair, Kagome pulled it back into a ponytail at the middle of her head. She tied it tight and then smiled approvingly. "Very pretty!" She commented.

After several minutes of washing vegetables and chopping them, Rin let out a very loud gasp and dropped her veggies into the sink. Kagome, fearing the worst, ran over to her to make sure she hadn't cut off any phalanges. When she didn't see a red river, she looked at the girl. "What is it, Rin-chan? Are you okay?" The girl just smiled excitingly and pointed out the broken window towards the approaching figure.

*~~~CH~~~*

"Damn that woman." Sesshoumaru muttered as he carried the bag of toys up the shrine stairs. After an hour and twenty minutes in the pointless meeting, he was more than ready to head home and relax. He had been on his way to the elevator, but stopped when he saw the various orange paper squares on the floor. They made an arrow that pointed towards the box of toys, another orange square posted onto the box with a note:

_You took too long. I'm going home. Ha-ha! Now YOU have to take the toys to the Orphanage! It's your own fault, really, so don't give me any lip about it on Monday!_

_-Love, Sakura!_

Was it so hard to obey his wishes? He was beginning to re-think his choice of secretary, despite her skills. He sighed as he trudged up the many steps, recalling his horrible day.

It had first started off with his alarm not going off do to some random power outage during the middle of the night. After quickly getting ready, he walked to his car only to see that he had a flat tire. He hauled for a cab and made him stop at the coffee shop, where they were out of his favorite drink. After receiving his replacement drink, the cabby drove over a rather large pothole, spilling the drink all over his expensive suit. He had called Sakura to retrieve one of his suits at the drycleaner, but was informed his drycleaner was closed for the day due to a water leak. He only prayed it did not ruin his favorite suit. When the work day was almost over, he had been called into a meeting by one of their largest customers to discuss stock options. After getting nowhere with the annoying man, he had to deliver the toys to the orphanage. So here he was, bag slung over his shoulder as he walked across the broken concrete. He was beginning to feel like Santa Claus, all he was missing was the fat and beard.

"Taisho-san!"

He raised his amber eyes at the familiar ring of his name and saw that Kagome and Rin were waiting for him outside the door of the house. He lifted a brow. Had they been expecting him? Rin bounced up and down happily, waving at him with so much energy, he feared her little arm would break off. He felt a tug at the corner of his mouth, a smile threatening to light up his face. He found it odd considering he had been having such a bad day.

"Kagome-san, Rin." He nodded to them and set the bag down in front of them. He watched as Kagome peered down into the bag, her mouth falling open in shock.

"T-Taisho-san! There are so many!" She gasped, blue eyes wide with disbelief.

"When my company commits to something, we do it to our fullest." He commented, a proud smirk lifting the edge of his mouth. Why did he feel so accomplished at her reaction? Was he trying to please her?

"So I see!" She said and let out her musical laugh. "Will you join us for dinner again?"

Sesshoumaru was about to protest until he felt a cold, small hand on his. He looked down and saw Rin gazing up at him with a hopeful smile. His eyes instantly went to her black eye. Who had done that to her? He was surprised by the vehemence of his protectiveness.

"I suppose." He agreed and then picked up the bag of toys when he saw Kagome struggling to do so. She blushed in embarrassment and nodded at him in thanks before they walked into the house.

"Kids! Taisho-san is here!" She called once she had closed the door behind them.

His ears picked up the stampede of footsteps as the children ran towards the entry hall. "Taisho-san!" They cheered, grinning wide at him.

"Taisho-san!" Muji cheered after them, running towards the group with his demon speed. He tried stop next to them, but slid on the wooden floors with his muddy feet. When he realized he wasn't going to stop, he let out a yell and stumbled to the ground after he ran into brick wall.

"Muji-chan!" Kagome scolded, walking over to him and helping him up. "You apologize this instant!"

"Huh?" He blinked and then looked up at the now muddy Sesshoumaru. He gasped in horror and quickly bowed low to him. "G-gomen, Taisho-san!"

"Hn." Sesshoumaru stared down at his already coffee-stained, muddy suit and mentally sighed. Another bullet to add on to the 'Bad Day' list.

"Muji-chan, you will clean up right now and then clean up this mess or no dinner." She pushed him towards the stairs. "Off with you." He mumbled another apology to Sesshoumaru before running up the stairs he would have to clean later.

Kagome turned towards Sesshoumaru and ushered him towards the kitchen, Rin at their heels. "I am so sorry, Taisho-san. I have no idea what has gotten into him. Can I get you a cup of tea while you wait for the bath?"

"I will take a cup of tea, but a bath is not necessary." He commented, sitting down in same chair as last time. He drew his ponytail of silver hair over his shoulder and frowned at the brown streaks in it.

"Nonsense." She scoffed and sat down next to him when Rin shooed her away from the counter space; apparently the girl wanted to make the tea. "I must insist, Taisho-san. It is the least we can do for that. I will not accept no for an answer." She added the last sentence when she saw him about to protest.

"Hn."

"Exactly." She winked at him and then thanked Rin when she brought over two cups of tea.

Sesshoumaru gently took the cup from her, but enclosed his hand around the little girl's on the mug. She looked up at him with her deep brown eyes, shock across her features. He stared intently at the bruise lining her eye socket. "Where did you get that bruise?" When she blinked at him, he furrowed his brow slightly. "You do not have to tell me if you do not want to. I was simply asking." Rin blinked once more before smiling up at him brightly. He released her hand and took the mug, his eyebrow lifted in question as she skipped back over to the stove. He glanced over at Kagome when she sighed.

"The kids are picking on her again," Her tone was sad. "But, she won't tell us who did it to her."

Sesshoumaru felt the anger prickle in him again. "Why not?"

"I don't know. She seems like she doesn't care, but it may be because she doesn't want to get picked on more." She commented before sipping on her tea.

"What do you mean?" Surely she would tell them if it meant becoming protected?

"I think the kids will pick on her more for being a tattle tell."

"Hn." Now he understood. He forgot how cruel children can be; especially to those not of their race.

"Taisho-san," Muji, now clean, said suddenly, walking into the kitchen. He bowed to Sesshoumaru. "The washroom is now ready. Again, I am sorry."

The inuyoukai stood from his chair and glanced at Kagome, who smiled kindly at him, and then looked back at the boy. "It was an accident. But, I suggest you clean up the mess you made so Kagome-san does not have to."

Muji nodded and smiled up at his role-model. "Hai, Taisho-san!" He then left to fetch the cleaning supplies. Sesshoumaru watched him go before heading towards the hall.

"We'll be sure to have dinner ready by the time you are done, Taisho-san." Kagome smiled as he turned to look at her. She was now standing by Rin at the stove. Both of the girls were smiling wide at him. His heart fluttered slightly as he nodded to them before leaving the kitchen.

What was that about?

**A/N: Sorry for the delayed update :3 Enjoy!**

**-MissKatt**


	6. Possibilities

**A/N: Thank again so much, everyone! I'll try to have several updates this week :3**

**-MissKatt**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters. All credit goes to the amazing Takahashi-san!

_**A Christmas Healing**_

_**By: MissKatt**_

Chapter Five: Possibilities

After dinner, Kagome stood doing the dishes with Rin. She had insisted on helping the girl with the dishes due to the fact that she needed some sort of distraction. Sesshoumaru was still lounging around in his white under tank, his chiseled chest and abs very profound through the thin material. His long, silvery, white hair was free from its tie and cascaded down his back. The entire way through dinner she had been focused on her plate, trying not to look at him for fear of blood spewing out of her nose like one of those perverted Anime characters on TV.

"Kagome-san,"

His voice startled her from her thoughts. She refused to turn around and face him for he was still lounging around in his sexy attire, waiting for his clothes to dry. "H-hai, Taisho-san?" She asked, inclining her head to the side, but making sure to not actually look at him.

"May I have another cup of tea?" Sesshoumaru had noticed she had made it a point to not look in his direction since his bath. Had he done something wrong? No, he couldn't have. Could he? And why did he care?

"Of course, Taisho-san! Rin-chan, will you fix him another cup?" She asked, looking over at the little girl who nodded all too enthusiastically.

The President of Taisho Corp. frowned. He had asked her specifically in hopes she would look his direction or perhaps even approach him. It was irking him that she would not give him her full attention. Hn, he was beginning to think he sounded like a needy child. Even so, it did not change his desire to capture her gaze.

He thanked Rin as she walked over with a fresh cup of tea, taking away his other mug. "Kagome-san, I believe you have visitors."

"Huh?" She asked, but before she could turn towards him, she heard the doorbell echo throughout the fragile house. She quickly dried her hands on a dish towel and made her way towards the entry way, Rin at her heels. Kagome twisted and pulled on the stiff door and was greeted by a young couple. The girl looked no older than herself. Her brown hair was pulled into a high ponytail; her milk brown eyes glistened with a mix of exhaustion, hope, and depression. The man next to her had short black hair that was pulled back to the base of his neck, his blue eyes mirroring his wife's. Both of their cheeks and the tips of their noses were red from the cold. "May I help you?"

"Yes," The girl's voice cracked and she had to clear it twice before she continued. "Yes. I'm Shinseina Sango, and this is my husband, Shinseina Miroku. I am sorry to bother you so late, but I'm looking for someone."

"I am Higurashi Kagome. Did you say you are looking for someone?" Kagome questioned, patting Rin on the head as she huddled into her leg.

"H-hai. We come from Osaka and I am looking for my younger brother." She breathed.

Kagome saw the glint in her eyes and the hidden tears behind them. This girl was moments from shattering on the door step. "Rin-chan, will you go prepare two more cups of tea?" She watched as the girl nodded before taking off towards the kitchen. She then opened the door wider and gestured into the house. "Would you please come in?"

Miroku saw the hesitation in Sango, but gently nudged her forward. "A little break will do us good." He commented gently.

"I suppose you're right." She breathed and then gave Kagome a weak smiled before nodding and following her into the kitchen.

"Please, have a seat. This is my guest, Taisho Sesshoumaru. Taisho-san, this is Shinsenia Miroku and his wife Shinsenia Sango." She introduced.

The pair quickly blinked before bowing low to the youkai. "T-Taisho-san!" They said in unison.

Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru nodded to them in greeting. "You know each other?"

"They are my employees." He said simply and gave the pair a pointed look that dared them to say elsewise. The couple shared a look before nodding in agreement and sat down at the table, a cup of tea soon in their hands.

"Now, you said you are looking for your brother? Why would he be in the Tokyo Orphanage?" Kagome asked, unconsciously taking a seat next to Sesshoumaru. He was pleased by her choice.

"Hai. We were sent away on…business a few years ago. When we returned a couple weeks ago, I learned that my family had been killed in a horrible car accident son after we left. When I asked about my brother, all the officials told me was that he had been shipped off to an orphanage and they didn't have the name of it. We have been searching relentlessly since then." Sango breathed, her eyes swelling up with tears.

Miroku reached over and gently grasped one of his wife's hands before turning his attention back to Kagome. "It has been hard on us both. That is why we are thankful for Taisho-san for the days off he granted us."

"Oh no, I am so sorry." Kagome said earnestly, her hand coming up to rest on her chest. How sad! To not be able to find her brother after her family was killed…? It was too cruel.

"I have come to terms with it," Sango said softly and squeezed her eyes tightly, trying to push away her tears. She did _not_ want her boss to see her so weak. "I am just hoping you could help me."

"I will try my best. What is his name?" Kagome asked.

"Kohaku." Sango supplied and then blinked when Kagome suddenly jolted from her chair.

"K-Kohaku?" She stammered over the word before grinning excitedly. "Kohaku!" She nearly screamed, running over to the entry way of the kitchen. "KOHAKU!"

Sango leapt from her chair, holding her hands to her chest. Could it be? Was her search over? Could this really be the place where her brother was? Miroku stood up with her, placing his hand on her shoulder. He really hoped this was the end of their search.

"H-hai, Kagome-neesan?" Kohaku asked hesitantly, not sure if he was in trouble for something. He poked his head into the kitchen and he looked up at Kagome with questioning eyes as she beamed down at him. His gaze then fell on the woman by the table. His eyes widened in shock, his mouth falling open. The room fell into a silence as they waited for the first exchange of words. "Nee-san?"

"K-Kohaku?" Sango stuttered before her face contorted into a mask of happiness and relief. "Kohaku-chan!"

"Nee-san!" He cried as he met her halfway through the kitchen and launched himself into her arms, hugging her tightly around the waist as he buried his face into her shoulder and sobbed violently. She hugged him back with all her might, tears flowing freely down her cheeks as she held her little brother for the first time in years.

Kagome covered her mouth in awe as tears of happiness filled her eyes. She felt a soft pressure on her shoulder and turned to see Sesshoumaru there, his hand on her shoulder. She smiled embarrassingly at him, a soft blush staining her cheeks, as she wiped the tears from her cheeks.

Sesshoumaru could not understand why the girl was crying. Shouldn't she be happy that the child was reunited with his family? Or was she crying because she was just that happy? How could someone have such compassion for others that they would cry for their happiness when it wasn't their own? Either way, he did not like her tears.

"We should let them talk in private." He commented, trying to draw her away from the scene that was so emotional for her.

She nodded in agreement and followed him from the kitchen. "Hai. Besides, I need to wrap those presents before the kids get too nosey and start looking through the bag. They don't know it's full of toys yet," she smiled and let out a soft laugh. She heard the buzz from the dryer and felt a slight flutter of dread soar through her stomach. "Your clothes are ready."

He nodded at her statement and then kept his amber eyes on her as she disappeared down the hall, only to come back a few moments later with his cream colored collared shirt and his black suit blazer. He nodded in thanks and silently dressed, buttoning up the shirt and slipping on his blazer, leaving it open. They then stood in awkward silence, looking at everything but each other.

Kagome chewed on the inside of her cheek. She didn't want him to leave yet. "W-will you stay a little longer?" She mentally slapped herself when the words escaped her lips. What was she thinking? He was gentlemanly enough to not refuse her dinner offer, again, and now she was just crossing the line. Of course he didn't want to stay any longer! He was probably dying to claw his way out of the dingy house. Men like Taisho Sesshoumaru did _not_ stay places like this of their own freewill. He had his clothes, so he would now want to leave.

"I do not see the harm."

She blinked once. Twice. Three times. She raised her blue eyes to stare into his golden pools. "A-are you sure? You don't have to, Taisho-san."

"I am sure. You will need help wrapping all of those presents. As you said, there are quite a lot." He spoke nonchalantly with a soft tone. He knew very well that the toys were supposed to be from 'Santa' and he would not be the one to ruin the fable for the children. In all honesty, he had been looking for an excuse to stay. His house was cold and lonely. This orphanage was filled with so much warmth and…homeliness.

He noted her blush and gave her a small smile which made her blush more. He hoisted up the bag of toys and gestured for her to lead the way.

"T-thank you!" She smiled up at him and then ushered him into the closed off formal living room. She shut the door behind them and looked up at the ceiling. The patter of feet could be heard as the children ran around upstairs, playing one of their made up games as they chased each other. She then opened the small closet at the back of the room and withdrew a rather large bag full of wrapping paper.

"Rin, why don't you go and play?" Sesshoumaru spoke suddenly.

Kagome widened her eyes and turned around to face the child who was curiously gazing at the pair through a crack she had made in the door. She made sure she stood in front of the bag of Christmas wrapping supplies and laughed nervously. "Yes, Rin-chan, you should go play." She instantly wanted to take back her words when the girl's face fell.

Seeing the look of rejection on the little girl's face, Sesshoumaru shifted his eyes to the bag of toys and then back to the girl. "Close your eyes." She blinked before squeezing her eyes tight in cooperation. He rummaged through the bag before pulling out a small doll. "Hands." He commanded and she complied, holding out her hands. He set it in her hands and then told her to open her eyes.

She slowly raised her lids and looked down at the doll in her hands. She gasped loudly before hugging the doll tightly to her person, gently swaying back and forth in happiness. She looked up at Sesshoumaru and gave him a very large smile.

"Arigato," Her voice was but a whisper, but he heard it clear as day.

As did Kagome.

"R-Rin-chan!" She said excitedly and went to hug her, but the little girl skipped away from the room as if nothing had happened. She sighed and then looked at Sesshoumaru with a new-found respect and a bit of confusion.

How had the little girl formed such a connection with him already?

**A/N: Yayyyy :3**


	7. Decisions

**A/N: Thank again so much, everyone! Thank you for all of your support! And to answer everyone's questions and PMs, YES, this will most likely be continued after Christmas :3!**

**-MissKatt**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters. All credit goes to the amazing Takahashi-san!

**_A Christmas Healing_**

**_By: MissKatt_**

Chapter Six: Decisions

"You're something else, Taisho-san." Kagome murmured with a smile as she pulled the two ends of the red ribbon together, bringing down the knot to his finger to tie the bow together on the last present.

Sesshoumaru removed his finger from its entrapment and looked at her curiously. "How so?" He asked and watched as she pressed the end of the ribbon against one of the blades of the scissors with her thumb and then pulled, causing the ribbon to curl.

"You help the orphanage with your company, got Rin-chan to speak, and you're helping me wrap all these presents! Your wife is a lucky girl." She grinned up at him, hoping her underlying question wasn't too obvious.

He lifted a brow at her. He felt an overwhelming need to correct her. "I am not mated." He replied, his eyes on her lips as she smiled.

"Ah, sorry. Well, anyone who does capture you will surely have a prize." She said with a wink and then signed '_Santa'_ on the name tag after addressing it to Muji.

"Hn." He didn't agree. He couldn't see how anyone would want him. He was mean, cold, and indifferent. He would admit it. He had dated several females in the past, but he either grew bored or they broke it off because of his attitude.

He inwardly sighed and flipped his hair over his shoulder. He forgot how annoying it could be with it down.

Kagome watched him with her dark blue eyes. He had been fidgeting with his hair ever since his shower. When she asked him about it the first couple of times, he had stated that his tie had snapped when he went to re-tie it. She could relate! How many hair bands had broken on her when she was half-way through tying her ponytail? She looked down at the spool of ribbon and pulled a foot of it out, cutting it neatly with the scissors. She then walked over to him and kneeled down behind him.

"Do you mind?" She asked, but was already caressing his silky tress in her hands.

He regarded her carefully over his shoulder before nodding in response. He turned straight again and let her tie back his hair. Why was she doing this? Although he couldn't complain.

"I have to admit I'm jealous of your hair, Taisho-san. I wish mine was as long!" She giggled and ran her fingers through his hair to try and gather it all. Once she smoothed out any lumps, she then tired the ribbon around it, making a neat bow at the base of his neck.

"It is a hassle." He replied, shifting to prop up on of his legs and rest his elbow on it as he turned his amber eyes upon her.

She blushed under his gaze and looked away. "Thank you again for helping, Taisho-san. I think it would have taken me hours to finish!"

"It is not a problem." He kept his gaze on the profile of her face. She was indeed a very pretty human. Her jet black hair was radiant against her ivory soft skin, her sapphire eyes shining with her brilliance.

Kagome glanced towards him, but quickly looked away when she found him staring at her. Her face flushed brighter in embarrassment. Why was he staring at her? Was there something on her face? She dared to snag another glimpse at him, but was slightly disappointed to see that he had found a new item to stare at. She jumped slightly when she heard a sharp bell ring throughout the room. She watched as he pulled out a cellphone from his pocket. He pressed his thumb to the screen twice before he raised his eyes to her, meeting her gaze.

"I have to leave." He announced and rose from his spot on the floor.

"O-oh. Okay." She stood up from the ground and watched as he pulled out a pen from the inside of his jacket. He picked up a scrap of wrapping paper and began to scribble something down on it before handing it to her. She gingerly took it and looked down at it, seven numbers staring back up at her. She looked up at him in question.

"If you or the children need anything, that is my personal number." He nodded to her before walking towards the double doors of the formal living room. He held the door open for her and then enjoyed her presence as she walked with him to the entry way.

"Have a good night, Taisho-san." She said with a smile when he turned towards her.

"You too, Kagome-san." He nodded and then left the house.

Kagome smiled as she watched him go, holding his number tightly in her hands.

*~~~CH~~~*

Sesshoumaru stared at Taisho Corp's partner with a carefully placed mask of indifference. He would nod occasionally and 'hn' at certain points, but he wasn't truly listening to what the man had to say. He tried to look remotely interested as he gazed at the man sitting on the other side of his desk, but found his eyes snagging glances at the iPhone on the desk.

"Taisho-san? Are there more pressing matters that require your attention?" The guy snapped bitterly at Sesshoumaru.

The inuyoukai narrowed his eyes at him. "Yes, in fact, there are. There have been more pressing matters ever since you decided to barge in here last week and demand your company receive larger portions of the Taisho Corp. funds. So, before you continue to pester me about something that will not happen, I suggest you leave and rethink your demands."

The man blinked repeatedly before shooting up from his chair, glaring at the youkai before storming out of the office. Sesshoumaru watched him go and nearly sighed in relief. What a bothersome human.

Speaking of humans…

He glanced at his phone once more and kept his eyes on it for a while, daring it to do something. The past week he had been expecting (hoping?) a call or text from Kagome. Why? He wasn't quite sure. But, perhaps through fate, he had run into the female and sometimes her kit sporadically during the week. Once at the grocery store, the other at the mall, and once more at the coffee shop. He had to admit, he enjoyed their random encounters. Her laughter and smiles actually had him wanting to smile and be around her more.

Thus, he wanted her to contact him. What else did he expect though? He had told her if she or the orphanage needed him to contact him. Why else would she have contacted him if not for the sake of their well-being? He inwardly sighed in frustration. What was happening to him?

He glanced at the calendar on his desk. It was four days until Christmas. Where had the month gone? He couldn't believe it was almost _that_ time of the year again. He narrowed his eyes as the painful memory stabbed behind his eyes. He shook his head and then looked up as his office doors opened. Sakura stood there, a tired smile on her face.

"I am leaving for the day, Taisho-san. The day is up. Shall I take the company card and buy groceries for the orphanage? I'm sorry I didn't remind the employees about the food drive. This week has been very hectic with our partner threatening to pull out from the company."

"It will not be necessary. I shall take care of it." He replied.

She eyed him wearily. He would take care of it? When had he ever offered to do anything? "O-oh okay. Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Taisho-san." She murmured and then let her eyes dart to his phone when it beeped out, announcing the arrival of a text message. She blinked when she saw how quick he was to snatch the phone from the desk and into his hands, his nose nearly pressing against the screen. "Have a good night."

Sesshoumaru paid no mind to her after his phone had gone off, his hopes high. They doubled when he saw that it was an unlisted number in his phone. Rarely anyone had possession of his personal cell. He entered his passcode and then tapped on the 'READ' button as it popped up.

_'Taisho-san, there is an issue at the orphanage and I think you may be the only one able to help me. It has to do with Rin-chan…Oh! This Higurashi Kagome! :)-_

How silly. How could such a simple text make him smile?

*~~~CH~~~*

Kagome held her phone in her slightly shaking hands. She stared at her phone with wide eyes, her eye brow twitching, and a bead of sweat on her temple. It had taken her nearly fifteen minutes just to _send_ the text message to the inuyoukai. But she knew the worst was yet to come. The waiting game. With the waiting game came the dread and nervousness.

She sighed dramatically. She felt as if she were a girl who had just began talking to the boy she had a crush on. Her face burned red at the thought. Oh…gosh…it was true!

She _liked_ Taisho-san!

'Bakabakabakabakabakabaka…BAKA!' She thought ferociously. How could she have fallen for someone like Taisho-san? A. She barely knew him. B. He was way beyond out of her league and probably only found her to be an annoying bee who was buzzing in his ear. Her worries were cut short when her phone vibrated in her hands. She quickly looked at her phone and read the reply.

_'I will be there shortly.'_

The woman let herself giggle once like a giddy school girl before mentally slapping herself. She had to get a hold of herself. He was only coming over to check on Rin and help her with the situation. Thus, she decided not to text him back for fear of seeming too needy. But, then again, she was in need of him.

Rin wasn't responding to anyone anymore. She would help Kagome cook, but then was glued to her side until Kagome departed. Kaede had told her that the little girl would hide as soon as she was gone. Kagome had a hypothesis that it had to do with Kohaku no longer being in the orphanage to protect her. She had noticed the kids beginning to pick on her more, although she would never catch them directly in the act and she couldn't rat out who did it. However, today something really bad must have happened for the girl had locked herself up and did not even come down for breakfast.

That's why she needed Taisho-san. He was the only one who Rin had spoken to so she hoped Sesshoumaru could cox her out of her niche.

She turned her attention back to the issue at hand and kneeled back down to peer under the bed. There lay Rin, curled up under the bed. Her bright brown eyes closed tightly as she shuddered, her bottom lip quivering without actually crying. Kagome knew something was wrong with the girl, obviously, but didn't know exactly what.

"Rin-chan," Kagome began, speaking softly. "Please come out." The girl shook her head furiously and cringed when Kagome reached for her.

The woman lowered her hand back onto the carpet and pursed her lips together. This was going to be her fifth attempt to get the little girl out from under the bed.

"Okay, then will you please tell me what happened?" The girl remained quiet, causing Kagome to sigh deeply.

She wasn't going to get anywhere until Sesshoumaru arrived.

**A/N: DUN DUN DUN! Happy Christmas everyone!**


	8. My Hero

**A/N: Sorry I didn't update a few times the week of Christmas. I honestly wanted to, but this thing called 'LIFE' got in the way -_-. Don't you just hate when that happens?**

**So, now it will be updated weekly. Sorry everyone! Anyways, here's your weekly update!**

**-MissKatt**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters. All credit goes to the amazing Takahashi-san!

_**A Christmas Healing**_

_**By: MissKatt**_

Chapter Seven: My Hero

Sesshoumaru could not have left work faster. He scrambled to collect his belongings and shoved his paperwork into his briefcase, not caring if it was a disorganized mess. He said a brief good-bye to Sakura as he passed her through the office. After taking the elevator down to the first level, he quickly retrieved his car and sped off towards the orphanage.

Within minutes he arrived, but stayed inside of the car after he parked it alongside the curb. What was he doing? Had he really just rushed over here like a madman? He couldn't believe how excited he had become over a simple text. After all, she only needed his help, right?

With a sigh, Sesshoumaru got out of the car and walked up the shrine steps, taking two at a time. '_Taisho-san, there is an issue at the orphanage and I think you may be the only one able to help me.' _Just what was going on over here anyways? He reached the door and knocked on it with a few raps. When the door opened, a flustered Kagome was there to meet him.

"Kag-" He was abruptly cut off when she grabbed his cold hand, he had forgotten his gloves at home, and pulled him into the house.

"Thank goodness you're here, Taisho-san!" She breathed as she pulled him up the stairs. He studied her from behind. He admired the smoothness of her revealed neck, her ebony tress tied up into a messy bun. The short sleeved, red shirt she wore hugged her body nicely, revealing her curves as her waist cut in before winding back out to form perfect hips. Her black leggings cupped her round cheeks before shaping her long legs. He blinked once as the swarm of dirty thoughts began to drift into his mind. Her pulling him upstairs and into a bedroom didn't exactly help.

"Kagome-san?" He asked as they walked into the bedroom, lifting a brow when she shut the door behind them. He looked around, two bunk beds sat on either side of the girls' room. There was a four drawer dresser against the back wall, a few toys scattered along the floor.

"Here, Taisho-san." Kagome spoke softly and kneeled down beside the bed, waiting for him to come over. His heart fluttered for a second as his mind began to imagine what exactly she could be doing in her position. He kneeled down next to her and watched as she bent down to peer under the bed. "Rin-chan, I bought Taisho-san. See?"

Upon her pleading gaze, he followed her suit and looked under the bed to see a curled up Rin. "Rin." He acknowledged. His nose was quickly assaulted by the scent of her blood and tears. His keen eyes ran over her little frame and saw her clutching her tiny wrist to her thin body. "What happened?"

She blinked several times, trying to focus brimmed brown eyes on Sesshoumaru. After a moment she let out a wail, her eyes leaking tears that spilled down her bruised cheek. She scrambled out from under the bed and into Sesshoumaru's lap, clutching his coat in her hands as she buried her face in his chest to cry.

Sesshoumaru blinked, unsure of what to do as the child cradled herself into his lap and sobbed. As always, when it came to this kind of 'stuff', he looked to Kagome for guidance. She offered him a very sad smile and nodded once, reaching out to smooth the girl's hair. He watched her action and then hesitantly put his clawed hand on Rin's back, rubbing it soothingly.

After several minutes, the girl's sobbing ceased and her tears diminished. Sesshoumaru watched as she let out a deep breath, calming herself. She was a strong little human, he admitted. He gently grasped her arm and held it up towards his face. There, on her pale flesh, was a large, jagged cut that started at her wrist and stopped a few inches below her elbow. Kagome gasped loudly, covering her mouth with her hand, her brows furrowed in worry.

Sesshoumaru shifted his gaze from Kagome to Rin. "Rin, what happened?" He repeated his question from earlier, releasing her arm as he did.

Rin furrowed her brows and set a determined look on her face, staring down at her lap, yet her brow wavered in uncertainty.

"Rin-chan, you must tell us! We can't keep letting the other kids pick on you. This is has got to stop!" Kagome pleaded, trying to reason with the girl.

"Once you tell us, we will be able to put an end to it." The inuyoukai added, studying the girl in his lap.

She looked up at him and gave him a small smile. "I can't."

Kagome let out another gasp before smiling brightly. She was talking again! Then her smile fell. Wait, why couldn't she? Were the other kids bullying her into not talking? "Why not, Rin-chan?"

The girl shook her head once before resting her head against Sesshoumaru, pursing her lips together.

Kagome released a soft sigh. She couldn't force the girl to do anything she didn't want to. She stood and gave the two a defeated smile. "I will go get the first-aid kit." She then left the room, leaving the two alone.

Sesshoumaru watched her leave before looking down at the little girl with his honey colored eyes. "Rin." He spoke.

"Hmm?" She asked, looking up at him.

"What is the reason you cannot tell us who hurt you?" He asked, hoping that now they were alone that she would answer.

"I can't because…" She trailed off, furrowing her brows. She then shook her head hard and bit down on her lip.

"Because why?" He demanded an answer. Seeing the gash in her arm and her bruised cheek made him upset. Why? He wasn't quite sure. After all, who was this human to him? No one. So, then, why did he feel compelled to help her?

He watched her fidget nervously in his lap, brows creased as she tried to make a decision. "Rin."

"B-Because they said that it would only get worse if I told." She whispered, not meeting his eyes.

He thought as much. "If you tell me who it is, Kagome-san and I will make sure it will not continue. You will be safe."

She shook her head again. "It will always continue."

"How so?" He questioned.

"It just will. They are cruel. I wish Kohaku-kun was here." Her bright brown eyes swelled up with tears again.

"But he is not. Therefore you must allow us to help you."

"It won't help until I'm away from here."

He was puzzled by her words, but didn't press it as Kagome walked into the room. She kneeled down in her place once more and got out the disinfectant spray. "This may sting a little." She warned and glanced at Sesshoumaru. He grasped the little's girl wrist once more and held it out for Kagome. She sprayed the wound and Sesshoumaru watched Rin's face carefully as she did. The girl didn't even flinch; he was impressed. Kagome then put on some antibiotic cream and carefully bandaged the small arm, tying it in a knot at the elbow.

"Alright Rin-chan, can you make Taisho-san and I some tea?" She asked, giving the girl a smile.

Rin nodded and stood up from Sesshoumaru's lap. She turned to face him and, with a goofy smile, wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a tight squeeze. He lifted a brow when she pulled away and skipped from the room.

"Ah, you're my hero, Taisho-san." Kagome said once they were alone. He turned to face her, confused. "You were able to get her out from under the bed. I've been trying for hours!"

"It was nothing, Kagome-san." Sesshoumaru replied, standing. He offered her a hand and she accepted it with pink-stained cheeks. He hoisted her to her feet and accidently used more force than necessary, causing her to stumble forward. He caught her, his hands on her elbows.

She blinked up at him, their gazes locking. Suddenly, butterflies of nervousness began to swarm into her belly, causing her face to flush red. She had the urge to wrap her arms around him like Rin had done, but knew it was stupid. He was only stabilizing her; that's all. She had to forget about the little crush she had on him. "A-arigato, Taisho-san."

As if snapped from a daze, he released her arms. "It was my fault, Kagome-san. My apologies."

"No need to be sorry. I owe you." She replied, smiling at him as she began to lead him from the room.

"It is not needed." He commented, following her down the stairs and to the kitchen.

She smiled at him as she stopped in front of the pantry, Rin handing her and Sesshoumaru a cup of tea. "Will you stay for dinner again, Taisho-san?"

Dinner. Guilt punched at his gut for not getting groceries for the food drive. "Ah, Kagome-san, my apologies-" He cut himself off as her face began to fall.

Kagome instantly felt a jolt of disappointment at his apology and nearly dropped her cup. He wasn't staying for dinner? She was truly hoping he would. She enjoyed his company and found herself wanting to be near him more often. She mentally slapped her herself once more. This crush was getting the best of her. "It is okay, Taisho-san, you don't have to stay…"

"That is not what I was referring to," He couldn't help the smile that overcame him as her face perked up. "I was talking about how I forgot to get the groceries for the food drive."

"Ah! That! Don't worry, Taisho-san! I will go and get some! I'm just glad you're staying." She smiled happily, a goofy grin spreading across her lips.

His small smile remained. "I will accompany you and pay for them."

She blinked and set her cup down, deeming it unsafe in her clumsy hands. "No, no, no! I can't allow that, Taisho-san. You've already done too much for us!"

"Nonsense. I have already made a commitment to the orphanage and failed to hold up my end of the bargain for this week." He replied and sipped his tea.

"A-are you sure?" She asked, furrowing her brows. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she was taking advantage of him. She wanted him to think of her in a different way than just someone who was mooching off of him.

"I am sure, Kagome-san." He nodded, his tone finalizing. He looked up as she walked towards the table, a bright smile on her face. Oh how he adored that smile.

'Adored? Snap out of it, Sesshoumaru.' He thought, his brow twitching.

"Thank you, Taisho-san. We all really appreciate it…especially me." She spoke the last part softly, a small blush on her cheeks as she adverted his eyes. Woah, what had compelled her to say that last part?

'Come on, Kagome! Knock it off! It's not going to happen!' She thought, sighing inwardly.

"Please, Kagome-san, call me Sesshoumaru."

**A/N: :3 Yayyyyy! They're so cute :3**


	9. Kagome's Enemy

**A/N: I'm so happy everyone loves this little story. Even I go 'awe' when I write it XD**

**-MissKatt**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters. All credit goes to the amazing Takahashi-san!

_**A Christmas Healing**_

_**By: MissKatt**_

Chapter Eight: Kagome's Enemy

"Ahh, I think we got too much!" Kagome laughed as they walked along the snowy side walk, puffs of white forming in front of her lips as she did. She looked down at the plastic bags they each held, the contents nearly protruding out from the tops and sides.

"Perhaps," Taisho responded, his amber eyes glancing down towards her. She kept flexing her left hand around the loops of the plastic bag, the skin pale from the cold. "But at least we will have a big dinner."

"I agree! It'll be nice to have a big dinner. Plus, I can freeze some of the meat and use it for the Christmas dinner in a couple days. Ahh, I'm so excited, four more days until Christmas!" She cooed, smiling happily. She turned towards him, beaming up at him. "What are your plans for Christmas, Sesshoumaru-san?"

He blinked at her question and then looked forward as they walked. "I do not have any."

"What? No plans for Christmas? Why not?" She asked, suddenly curious. Surely everyone had some sort of Christmas routine?

"I do not celebrate it." He replied, inwardly sighing. Here we go…

"What! Why not? It's an amazing holiday! Don't tell me you're a Grinch, Sesshoumaru-san! If that's the case then I'm afraid we cannot continue talking any longer!" She feigned mad and turned her head to the side dramatically.

"It marks a…personal time for me," He replied, trying to keep the cold from his tone. He wasn't too sure it worked for her bright blue eyes dimmed a little as she turned her head back towards him. "My mother died on Christmas."

"O-oh, I'm so sorry." She gasped, looking down at the snow as they walked. When he had first stated that he did not celebrate Christmas she nearly hit him for saying such crazy stuff. She even called him a Grinch! Now she felt really bad for thinking such negative thoughts about him when she didn't even know the details of the situation.

"Do not trouble yourself, Kagome-san," He said, sensing her distress. "You did not know."

"Yes, but it was very rude of me." She said softly and moved the bag in her left hand to join the other in her right. She then breathed on her left hand, trying to warm it up. Once semi-satisfied, she lowered it and looked back up at him. "I should have asked before I assumed anything."

Sesshoumaru watched her carefully, taking in her movements and the way the winter breeze played with the stray strands of her ebony hair. "Again, it is alright, Kagome-san." He then transferred the bag in his right hand to the left and gingerly reached for hers, holding her hand within his own.

Kagome let out a soft gasp, butterflies flying into her stomach at the contact of their hands. Was he really holding her hand? Oh, and how warm it was compared to her own. She looked up at him and saw that he was looking at her with a questioning gaze. "Huh?"

"Is this acceptable? Your hand was cold so I am offering you mine for warmth." He stated, trying to sound nonchalant when in reality his heart was nearly soaring at the touch of her.

"Is it-? Yes! Of course," She beamed once more, a blush on her cheeks. "Thank you so much, Sesshoumaru-san."

"It is nothing." He said and turned his head to focus forward as they walked. He felt something flutter in him when he felt her adjust their hands so they were now lacing fingers.

Kagome blushed a deeper shade of red as she dared to take their hand holding to another level. But, when he didn't protest or pull away, her nervousness melted into a warm smile. Could there be some small chance that Sesshoumaru liked her back? Her heart skipped a beat at the thought.

They walked in a comfortable silence back to the shrine, simply enjoying each other's presence. Once they got to the stairs, she released his hand and he looked down at her with another questioning look.

She gave him an embarrassed smile. "I am super clumsy, Sesshoumaru-san. If I fall I don't want to bring you down with me."

He blinked at her and then let out a soft chuckle. "I assure you, you will not. Besides, if you fall, I will catch you."

She blushed at his comment and gave him a kind smile. "You are so sweet, Sesshoumaru." She said softly, momentarily forgetting to use the honorific.

Sweet? That was new. He had never been called 'sweet' in his life before. Still, he offered her a small smile. "Shall we, Kagome?"

She nodded and began to walk up the stairs, Sesshoumaru walking behind her just in case. They wandered over to the house and walked in, removing their shoes and putting on their house slippers before walking to the kitchen. As soon as they ventured into the kitchen, Kagome stopped dead in her tracks, Sesshoumaru nearly running into her.

"Kagome?" He asked, gazing down at her to make sure she was okay. As if nothing had happened, she straightened up, holding her head high, and stormed deeper into the kitchen, placing her bags down on the counter top. Regarding her carefully, he followed her suit before glancing at the dining room table when his name was called.

"Ah, konbanwa, Taisho-san," Kaede croaked, nodding at him.

"Shikon-san." He replied, returning the gesture. He raised a brow when the other female at the table stood up to face him. Her long, straight black hair was tied into a ponytail, her bangs cropped straight across, right above her brown eyes.

"Ah, Taisho-san, it is a pleasure to finally meet you!" She cooed, walking over to him and bowing low. When she straightened, she held out hand to him. "I am Tama Kikyou. I am the secretary for Zoku Inc."

"Zoku?" He replied before the name clicked in his head. "Kouga?" Knowing it would be rude not to, he shook the outstretched hand.

"Hai!" She nodded and grinned before putting a saucy smirk on her face. "Might I say, Taisho-san, you're much more handsome in person." She gave his hand a slight squeeze.

Sesshoumaru glanced over his shoulder when he heard a sudden loud clank from pots being dropped. "Kagome? Are you alright?"

Kikyou's eyes then darted behind him when she heard the clatter. "Tsk, tsk, so noisy! I see you're as clumsy as ever, Kagome-CHAN." She always used the honorific with a condescending tone. She knew it pissed off the other miko.

Kagome turned to face the woman, a scowl on her face. "And I see you are as bitchy as ever, Kikyou-CHAN." She said, venom seeping into her voice.

Sesshoumaru raised a brow. Did the overly nice, sweet Kagome just call this lady a bitch? And her feisty tone…he liked it.

"And I see that you are going nowhere as I predicted. Still bothering the orphanage with your presence, I see. You just can't cut ties can you? And poor Taisho-san, being dragged around by the likes of you. Making him go grocery shopping? Don't you have any shame? And I bet he paid for it too." She scolded, putting her hands on her hips.

Kagome froze at her words. Wasn't that what she was most concerned about? Sesshoumaru thinking all those things about her? Did she drag him along? But…he offered. And he insisted on paying. Still, guilt began to nag at her conscious.

"Ha, so pathetic as always, Kagome-_chan_." Kikyou snickered.

Kagome glared her eyes at her once more. "Why are you even here, Kikyou? And you were talking about me still bothering the orphanage? At least I'm actually wanted here."

The older female stormed past Sesshoumaru and got in Kagome's face. "What exactly do you mean by that?"

Kagome didn't back down from the challenge. She put her hands on her hips, her sapphire eyes burning into her chocolate colored eyes. "No one likes you and no one wants you here. When have you ever came and helped out with anything? Never. You hate children and they hate you. So leave!"

"Don't think you know everything about me, Kagome-_chan_, because you don't." Her aura surged and pressed against Kagome in a soft blue light.

"Oh, but I do, Kikyou-CHAN. I've grown up with you so I know exactly how you are. Skanks like you never change." Kagome's aura snapped back, pink flaring against her.

"Stop it ye two! That is quite enough!" Kaede shouted, rising from the table with a jolt. She wobbled uncertainly and nearly fell over and he would have if Sesshoumaru hadn't appeared at her side in a flash, stabilizing her. She thanked him before turning her attention back to the mikos. "I will not repeat myself!"

Kagome instantly backed down, drawing back her powers. "I'm sorry, Kaede." She murmured and sharply turned from Kikyou to focus on the groceries piled on the countertops.

The other miko glared at the sudden lack of confrontation. She turned towards Kaede and Sesshoumaru and pushed the bangs from her eyes with a sigh. "Anyways, Kaede-baachan, when do I get to pick a child?"

Kaede clicked her tongue. "I did not agree yet to let ye just 'pick' one, Kikyou. They are not objects, they are children."

"Yeah, but I am more than qualified! I have a large house with a big backyard and I have plenty of money. Isn't the whole idea of having these children here to get them adopted? So, what's the issue?" Kikyou asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

"The issue is that you're a self-center bitch," Kagome breathed, but Sesshoumaru's sensitive ears easily picked it up, causing him to let out a soft chuckle.

"There is no issue, Kikyou. But, well, perhaps ye should join us for dinner and we will go from there." Kaede suggested, causing the woman to sigh heavily.

"Fine. Whatever it takes." She began to head for the door, going to go relax before she had to deal with a bunch of little brats. She stopped before she left, glancing at Kagome. "Don't poison my food."

"I make no promises." Kagome snapped back, not even looking up from task of chopping vegetables. Kikyou glared hard before leaving.

Sesshoumaru walked over to her and watched as she chopped the vegetables with more speed and force than necessary, nearly slicing the cutting board in half from the effort. Scared that she was going to chop off one of her fingers, he gently grabbed the knife from her hands.

She huffed and looked up at him. "I'm sorry you had to witness that, Sesshoumaru. I don't want you to think poorly of me."

He shook his head. "I do not think poorly of you at all. The things she spoke of are not true for if they were, I would not remain here."

She smiled up at him. "I'm glad."

"Although, I did not know you were capable of speaking ill of someone by using profanity." He commented, causing her face to flare up in embarrassment.

**A/N: DUN DUN DUN!**


	10. Adoption

**A/N: Bahaha I love how everyone starts talking smack about Kikyou XD I love you guys! 3**

**-MissKatt**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters. All credit goes to the amazing Takahashi-san!

_**A Christmas Healing**_

_**By: MissKatt**_

Chapter Nine: Adoption

The president of Taisho Corp. walked around the house, trying to find a quiet place where he could finally answer his blaring iPhone. After the six time of ignoring the phone call, it was apparent that his father was _not_ going to leave him alone. How his father even got his personal cell was beyond him, though he had a sneaking suspicion that Sakura was somehow behind it. He had been mildly shocked when he saw the unlisted phone number pop up on his phone. When he had answered it, he almost instantly hung it back up when he heard his father's gruff voice.

"Enough!" He growled at his phone after it rang for seventh time. He walked out the front door of the house and slid his finger across the green button on cool glass. "What?" He growled once the call connected.

A hefty laugh bellowed at him from the receiver of the phone. "I know you too well, my son."

"And why do you think that, Touga?" He asked, refusing to call him father.

"Because your patience with people who bother you is extremely low." He replied, laughing again.

Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to rub his temples. "Is there something you needed?" He asked, loathing the small talk his father was trying to create.

"It is almost Christmas, Sesshoumaru," He father began, his tone now serious.

Sesshoumaru let out a short snort. "I am aware of my mother's date of death." He retorted.

Touga let out a sigh. "I did not suspect that you weren't. However, I would like to see you for the holiday."

"I do not celebrate Christmas." Sesshoumaru spat out, narrowing his eyes as he looked up at the sky as it began to snow. "You have ruined the once joyful holiday."

Another sigh. "Sesshoumaru, my son, I know I have caused you much pain, but you are still my blood. You are my first born; my strongest heir. I do not want us to remain how we are."

"Then you should have thought of such before doing what you did." He snapped back.

"I have no regrets for what I have done for it gave you the breath you still take this very moment. That, in itself, is reason for me to accept what I have done." Touga replied, his tone sad but firm. "She would have killed you in her lust for my blood. She was blind to all other things, even you, her only child."

"Well, I am glad you have accepted it. May your decent into hell be gracious." Sesshoumaru growled before abruptly ending the call. He glared at his phone for a while before his sensitive pointed ears picked up a female talking. Curious, he followed the voice around the side of the house until he saw Kikyou standing by herself, smoking a cigarette. He hid himself around the corner of the house as she began to speak into her phone.

"I do not care, Kagura!" She snapped into the phone, taking a deep inhale of her cancer stick. She exhaled it sharply before speaking once more. "I want that promotion!"

There was a pause as the other person responded.

"No! You don't get it, I have to have this! No! I don't care about Ayame and her children. Yes, yes, I know she's having another one!"

Another pause.

"Exactly! I know that's what Kouga wants. He's always like that "caring-family-loving" type of female. But, I am better than her in every aspect when it comes to my work and how to work with this company! You know that!" She growled, taking another angry hit off of her secretary.

Pause.

"What do you mean I am unapproachable? You know what, forget it. Your opinion doesn't matter."

She sighed and the woman on the other end spoke up.

"Alright, alright. I'm sorry. I know, I know, I'm a horrible friend. But, I really want this promotion. I mean, I'm even at this raggedy orphanage to adopt some brat just to show Kouga I can be a motherly figure as well!"

She glanced around before flicking her cigarette across the playground and into the snow.

"I know, right? Very desperate, but hey, if it gets me my promotion, I don't care. I'll just ship the brat off to boarding school or something."

That was all Sesshoumaru needed to hear before he turned to venture back inside the house. Now he could see why Kagome did not particularly like the other miko.

*~~~CH~~~*

"Rin-chan, Shippou-chan, will you set the table for me please?" Kagome called and she set two large hot plates on the table. Sesshoumaru assisted her in carrying over the two hot pot dishes she had cooked. He placed the Mizutaki on one of the hot plates and helped her lift the pot of Sukiyaki onto the table.

She smiled kindly at him and shuffled back over to the counter as she began to fill bowls of steaming white rice. As she scooped out spoonfuls from the rice cooker, Rin and Shippo took turns running the bowls to the table, placing them down next to the plates they had laid out. After they took the last two, they took their places at the table, Rin saving the seat next to her for Sesshoumaru like always.

The miko ventured towards the kitchen doorway and put her hand to the side of her mouth. "Children! Dinner time!" Kagome called and then smiled when she heard the parade of footsteps begin to scatter across the upstairs hall before cascading down the staircase and storm into the kitchen to take their places at the table.

Sesshoumaru watched the children carefully as they filed in, taking each one in as they became comfortable in their seats. He was looking for any sign of ill behavior, like glares or scoffs, towards Rin, but he saw no signs. He followed Kagome as she headed towards the table, but stopped when Kikyou swiftly took his normal spot.

Rin turned and looked at her in horror, like she had just sprouted a second head, when she took Sesshoumaru's seat. She quickly turned her head towards Sesshoumaru, her bright brown eyes full of disappointment and sadness. He gave her a small smile and patted her head before taking a seat next to Shippou. Reluctantly, she turned her eyes to her plate, a frown marring her face.

"Itadakimasu!" Kagome began with a smile.

"Itadakimasu!" The children chorused back before beginning to dig into the hot pot and consume their warm meal.

"So, Kaede-baachan, what have you decided?" Kikyou asked, turning her attention onto the old lady at the end of the table.

Sesshoumaru glanced at Kagome as her grip tightened on her chopsticks and she chewed down hard on her food. He then turned him amber eyes back to the elder lady as she replied. He had yet to tell them of what he had heard from the woman. However, was it truly his place to relay such things?

"I have not, Kikyou. Ye have not interacted with any of the children." She sighed and shook her head. "I need to know ye can get along."

"Keh, take the mute!" Muji spoke up, pointing his chopsticks at Rin. Her face flushed and she quickly looked back down at her plate, pointedly trying to avoid looking at the demon.

'Hmm,' Sesshoumaru thought suspiciously, an eyebrow rising. He found his most likely suspect for tormenting Rin.

"Mute?" Kikyou asked, suddenly perking up at the idea of a speechless child. She turned her dark brown eyes down on the girl next to her. She lowered her head close to the little girl, taking in her appearance. She seemed cute enough. Rin shrank back in her seat, her chocolate eyes staring up at the cold lady. "Oh, my, is that true?"

Rin blinked and furrowed her brows when she realized all the eyes at the table were on her. She squirmed uncomfortably and tried to get away from the piercing gazes that were upon her. She just wanted to suddenly disappear. She moved her eyes to lock onto Sesshoumaru's and his amber pools made her feel a little better.

"Hmm, it seems so." Kikyou grinned and then turned to look at Kaede. "I'll take her!"

Kagome gasped and stood from her chair. "You can't take her!" There was no way in _hell_ she would let the bitch take little Rin. Rin deserved better than Kikyou; especially after everything that was happening to her at the orphanage. She doubted it would be much better at Kikyou's house.

Kikyou turned her cold glare on her. "And why not, Kagome-_chan_? I can provide for her much better than you can. Plus, it is better than her staying an orphan, is it not?" The last question was directed towards Kaede.

"Any place is better than stuck with someone like you! She'd be better off in a lion's den, you bitch!" She snapped, narrowing her eyes at her arch nemesis.

"What did you say? Say it to my face!" Kikyou growled, now standing from her chair as well.

Kagome scampered out from behind her chair, all too eager to get into her past tormentor's face. When they were but two feet away from each other, she narrowed her sapphire eyes and inclined her head. "Bitch."

Kikyou flared her aura, the blue force slamming at Kagome, but was only met with a pink shield made from her aura. Kagome glared and pushed her aura against the woman's, flinching slightly when the blue managed to slip through her barrier.

The orphans watched with fascinated shock as their nee-san engaged in an altercation with the other female. Sure, they had seen their sister mad before, but they had never seen her begin yelling at someone like she was at that moment.

Muji sharply turned his gaze onto Rin. "Good job, runt. You got Kagome mad. Now these people are fighting because of you."

Rin looked up in horror once more and watched as the two women fought in the dining room, the elder miko trying to intervene. Her chest heaved in worry and she quickly looked towards where Sesshoumaru was sitting for help. She blinked when she saw his chair absent, but saw that he was already up and walking over to Kagome.

The inuyoukai flinched as the pink purification power slapped at him, leaving a burn on his exposed forearm. Ignoring it, he reached out and gently grabbed Kagome's shoulder as Kaede grabbed Kikyou's. As one, the mikos receded their power, but their glares remained in play.

"I am tired of this! Ye are not welcome any longer, Kikyou!" Kaede hissed out, glaring up at the older woman.

"She started this! All I want to do is adopt some poor, helpless kid! Give me the mute and let me give her a good home!" Kikyou protested, eagerness and desperation now in her tone.

Kagome was about to voice her opinion on the matter, but Sesshoumaru gave her a soft squeeze on her shoulder, silencing her. He cleared his throat, getting the other two's attention as he did. The younger miko watched as he stepped beside her, his eyes on Kaede.

"Shikon-san, I request you deny this lady the option of adopting Rin." He spoke, gaining a sharp glare from Kikyou, but curious looks from the other.

"Oh? And why is that, Taisho-san?" Kaede asked, her hope nearly sky rocketing at what he may say.

"I had hoped to discuss it with the girl privately first, but it seems that I waited too long. But," He turned to look at the wide-eyed Rin and then at the opened-mouth Kagome before turning his attention back on Kaede. "I wish to adopt Rin."

**A/N: X3!**


	11. Shopping

**A/N: Awww, so much happiness from you guys! XD I'm glad you like the story so far! Thank you so much for all the kind reviews!**

**Also, a part of this fic is dedicated to Kaiwren522 :3 thanks for the suggestion!**

**-MissKatt**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters. All credit goes to the amazing Takahashi-san!

_**A Christmas Healing**_

_**By: MissKatt**_

Chapter Ten: Shopping

"S-Sesshoumaru?" Kagome asked, stunned. She could hardly believe what she had heard. Granted, she was very, very happy about it, but…did he truly mean it?

"Taisho-san? Are ye sure?" Kaede questioned, approaching the inuyoukai. She had to tilt her head back to gaze up at the tall demon, her wiry gray hair nearly touching her knees.

Sesshoumaru glanced from Kagome to Kaede and nodded. "When may I fill out the paperwork?" He asked and then paused suddenly, as if remembering something. He turned towards Rin, his golden eyes focusing in on her chocolate brown ones. "Is that acceptable, Rin?"

For a moment, Sesshoumaru wondered if she did indeed not wish to live with him for the little girl was frozen in her chair, her mouth slightly agape. He would accept it if she denied, of course, but hoped otherwise. But then the girl broke out into a large grin, her eyes filling up with tears. She scrambled out of her chair and ran towards him, lurching herself into his arms as she happily chimed, "Hai Sesshoumaru-sama, HAI!"

He was surprised when the awkwardness that usually came with physical contact did not come. He smoothed her hair out with a small smile as she buried her face into his collared shirt. He then looked up to see a very taken back Kaede.

"My, my. I cannot say no to that, now can I? I will draw up the paperwork immediately." Kaede said with a joyous smile. She was so worried about the 'not-so-mute' girl getting adopted and yet here she was getting adopted by one of the richest men in Japan.

"Arigato, Shikon-san." Sesshoumaru said with the nod of his head to her.

She nodded back before turning to Kikyou. "I am sorry, Kikyou, but I refuse to let ye adopt any of my children. I wish ye the best of luck in ye search." She said, her tone serious.

Kikyou stuttered over her words before clenching her hands in fury. "Whatever, I didn't want any of these pathetic brats anyways! Good luck trying to get homes for these things!" She shouted before turning on her heel and walking out the front door, making sure to dramatically slam the door behind her.

Kaede pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a sigh. "Thank goodness she is gone. I will bring down the papers in a few moments." She said and left the kitchen to walk up the stairs to her office.

Kagome turned back towards the table to see the children frowning in sadness. She knew that each of them had silently hoped to be adopted by Sesshoumaru and it had to have crushed them when he had chosen Rin. Still, as bad as it made her seem, she was very happy he had chosen Rin. Not only did he get her to speak, but he would be taking her away from whoever was tormenting her.

"Children, finish up so you can have some dessert!" She said, trying to sound optimistic and bring them from their fowl moods. They nodded at her, a few smiling, before continuing to eat. Rin joined them back at the table, happily digging into her food.

"Kagome, may I speak with you?" Sesshoumaru asked, gaining her attention.

She smiled at him and nervously tucked a piece of her stray hair behind her ear before nodding. She followed him from the room and into the formal living room. She watched as his long ponytail swayed behind him. She felt the butterflies lurch when he closed the doors behind him, closing them off from the rest of the house. "Sesshoumaru?"

"I have a request," He started, adverting his gaze. He had never really asked anything from someone, except Sakura, but that was her job.

"H-hai?" She questioned, looking down at her hands as the nervousness began to gnaw at her. How badly did she want to hug him for saving Rin, but she would settle for doing him a favor.

"Will you and Shippou accompany Rin and I tomorrow? I will need to get things for her room and," he paused, looking for the right phrase. Instead, he settled for the truth. "It is something I have never had to do before."

Kagome looked at him and blinked her blue eyes at him before giving a soft giggle. "Sesshoumaru, you're so cute." She said. Apparently her mind filter was off and she blushed profusely at what she said. "I-I mean, it's funny. Well, no it's not. I'm not trying to make fun of you. I was just commenting that it was different that you were-, no that's not the word either because it's not different to buy stuff for your daughter. Umm well, what I was trying to say-"

He silenced her by putting his clawed hand on her cheek, a small smile on his lips. "You are rambling, Kagome. I understand what you are trying to say. So, will you come with us?"

Kagome blushed, her cheeks burning with embarrassment and excitement at the feeling of his hand. "H-hai."

"Thank you." He replied, a smile still on his face. As if just remembering where his hand was, he promptly took it away, nearly cursing his stupidity.

She gave him a sad smile, hurt by his sudden movement. Was he that repulsed by her? The idea of him possibly having a crush on her crumbled before her. Stupid Kagome! She knew better than to expect such stupid things.

"Um, so, we'll meet you at the mall say 10am? Okay, sounds good!" She uttered briskly, walking past him towards the door.

"Also, is it alright if she stays the night at your house? I do not want her to stay another night here if it can be helped." He asked, raising a brow at her curtness.

"Hai, hai!" She forced enthusiasm in her voice as she answered, not turning his way, and walked from the room.

He sighed once she was gone. Now what had he done?

*~~~CH~~~*

"How about this one, Rin-chan?" Kagome asked the little girl as they walked through the department store bedding section. They had just finished up at the furniture store and her Princess four-post bed would be delivered later that day along with her dresser and night stand.

"Oh, I like this one, Kagome-neesan!" She beamed, pointing at the baby pink colored comforter.

Kagome smiled and gave a soft laugh. "Alright, alright. Matching sheets and pillows?" When the girl nodded enthusiastically, she went to pull it off the shelf, but Sesshoumaru beat her to it. She blushed at his gentleman gesture, but otherwise ignored it. She spotted a big, pink, crown-shaped pillow and held it up for Rin to see. The little girl nearly squealed before clutching it tightly to her small frame, making Kagome laugh once more.

Sesshoumaru was not a happy camper. No, he did not mind spending a bunch of yen on Rin. That was not the issue at all. It was the fact that Kagome was pointedly ignoring him. She hadn't smiled at him all day! Hmm, was he addicted to it? _Could_ you get addicted to such a trivial, mundane thing?

He finished paying for Rin's things and carried the bags as they walked, refusing when Kagome offered to help. As they walked, he tensed slightly at the scent of his business partner. He hated the person, but had to deal with him due to their financial agreement. Expecting to be bombarded with useless suggestions, he prepared himself for a steady stream of 'noes'.

"Kagome~!" Kouga called before appearing in front of Kagome with his demon speed, making her jump from being startled.

"K-Kouga-kun!" She stuttered, putting her hand to her racing heart. "What are you doing?"

"Keh, I was walking around when I smelled the wonderful scent of my woman. I had to come and say hi." He said, grabbing her soft hand within his calloused one.

'Woman?' Sesshoumaru thought curiously. His eyes narrowed and his youkai flared with warning. He took a deep breath to try and sooth his beast, trying to remind it that she was _not_ theirs, but it let out a growl against his will.

Kouga turned his attention to the inuyoukai as if noticing him for the first time. "Ah, Sesshoumaru. What a pleasant surprise." His voice was bland as he spoke.

"Kouga," He replied with a slight incline of his head.

The wolf than turned his head to Kagome, his light blue eyes staring into hers. "So, my love, when are we going to go out again? I miss you."

Kagome attempted to pull her hand from his, but he held tight. "Kouga-kun, we broke up several months ago." She stated, eager to clear up any misunderstanding Sesshoumaru may get from it, despite the fact that he did not like her.

After hearing her statement, it took every fiber of his will and strength to prevent himself from ripping the wolf's hand off of Kagome. He really didn't want to create any issues with one of his business partners, but he would if needed.

"Aw, don't be like that, Kagome. I forgive you, so let's just kiss and make up!" He urged, moving his face towards her.

Sesshoumaru growled and at the same time Kagome released an 'eep' and let out a spark of her power, smacking Kouga in the face with it. He stepped back, stunned, before grinning and rubbing his stinging cheek. "Ha! Good to know you still have that fire in you!" He smirked and then looked at his watch. "Ah, I have to go, Kagome. I have a conference I must be at. I will see you soon!" He waved before taking off.

Kagome shook her head as he left and continued on with their walk throughout the mall, Shippou and Rin at her sides while Sesshoumaru brought up the rear, a very pleased smirk on his face.

"Papa," Rin said softly, tugging on Sesshoumaru's coat hem as they stood outside of the mall.

If not for pressure on his coat, he would have ignored the name. Not out of spite, but because he was not used to it. He had never really thought he was going to be called any term even closely related to the word father. He turned his attention to the little girl. "Hn?"

"C-can Kagome-neesan and Shippou-chan come with us? I want them to see it too!" She asked shyly, an embarrassed blush on her cheeks.

Kagome stared at the girl, her mouth slightly ajar. She couldn't believe how chatty the girl had been all day! Was it because she felt safe now that she didn't have to stay at the orphanage? She felt kind of sad that the girl hadn't opened up to her like she so willingly until she did with Sesshoumaru. She mentally slapped herself for being so selfish.

"If they wish to." He replied, raising his eyes to Kagome, who quickly looked away towards a sudden very interesting wall.

"Hai! Hai! Right, Mama? We want to go see Taisho-san's house and Rin-chan's new room! Right? Please, Mama!" Shippou pleaded, tugging on his mother's hand.

"I don't know, Shippou-chan. You have school tomorrow." She said, now looking down at her son.

"Not-uh! I'm off for Winter Holiday!" He protested, grinning triumphantly. Now his mother had no reason to say they couldn't go to Taisho-san's house!

She sighed. "That may be true, Shippou-chan, but I have papers to grade." She replied. It wasn't exactly untrue. She _had_ been putting it off. She inwardly groaned when her son gave her a heart melting frown. "Ah, alright, alright."

Sesshoumaru stared at the miko as she crumpled under her son's sadness. He didn't mind it, he was rather glad actually, but it bugged him that she had made excuses to not come over. Did she truly hate him all of a sudden? She hadn't really said anything the whole time they were shopping for Rin's bedroom and it had bothered him a great deal. "I have a car coming for us. Is dinner acceptable?"

"Sure." Was all that came as her reply.

Frowning, they waited in silence for his car to come. When it did, they gathered inside of it and drove off towards his house, all the while remaining silent. It was the same as they pulled into the driveway of the house and walked into it, the butlers moving to go and pick up the bags from the trunk.

The silence was nearly driving Sesshoumaru mad. Normally, he preferred it to the stupid banter that was normally around him, but with her it was different. He enjoyed her talks and chatter. Her laugh filled his ears and she made him smile with a mere glimpse of her own. What was the woman doing to him? And what was wrong with her? Was she mad he adopted Rin?

Waiting until the children ran upstairs to pick out a bedroom for Rin, he turned to the silent Kagome. "Kagome, have I done something to anger you?" He had to ask. He needed answers for the lack of, well, her.

She blinked as she processed his question. Was that how she was coming off? Oh, no! That's not what she meant to do at all! She mad at herself! "No, no. Of course not, Sesshoumaru-san. Why do you ask?"

He frowned at her sudden use of the honorific. He didn't like it; it was too formal. He thought that they had moved past that. "Besides you using 'san'? You are exceptionally quiet. It is not you."

The miko blushed; she thought that perhaps using 'san' would have made him happier. Wasn't it too informal to not use an honorific? Speaking of which, when had they stopped using them with each other? "I'm sorry; I just have a lot on my mind." She replied.

He raised a brow and led her to his large living room. He removed his coat and tossed it over the arm of the couch before sitting down. He let out an audible exhale when she simply stood there, looking around blankly. "Kagome, will you join me on the couch?" When she complied, he continued. "What is on your mind?" Why was he trying so hard? Did he really care that much about her?

Yes. He already knew it to be true.

"Um," She paused, fidgeting next to him. "It's okay, I don't want to bother you with my issues." How could she possibly tell him how she felt about him?

"Kagome," His tone was stern. He reached over and put his hand on hers, causing her cheeks to stain red. "It is no bother. It only is when you are not your normal, happy self." What was he saying?

She looked down at their hands, her heart slamming in her chest. What to say...what to say… "Uh, well, you see, there is this guy that I kind of like…" She trailed off, her face hot from the embarrassment.

**A/N: Ohhh~ SNAP! **


	12. Plans

**A/N: As always, thank you everyone! Honestly, I didn't think I would have this story go past ten chapters ^^;; But I also said it was only going to be a Christmas fic…oh how I crumble to the demands of my beloved readers ;)**

**-MissKatt**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters. All credit goes to the amazing Takahashi-san!

_**A Christmas Healing**_

_**By: MissKatt**_

Chapter Eleven: Plans

Sesshoumaru felt the piercing stab of disappointment in his gut. So, Kagome had someone she liked already. No wonder she had been so distant with him all day. He must have crossed the line by touching her last night. He had dared to be bold and try to be affectionate, but obviously it had been a red flag to her.

He stiffened up and cleared his throat. "Is that so?" He didn't mean for his voice to sound so cold, but the clipped words came out before he could stop them. It wasn't her fault that he had developed feelings for her. Well, it was, but not directly at least.

Put off by his sudden coldness, she tried to reel the topic back in. If his attitude changed so abruptly at her words, then it was definite that he didn't have any feelings for her. She took his attitude as a warning to not continue her sentence. After all, she didn't want to put him in the awkward position of having to reject her.

With a shaky hand, she pushed a lock of her hair behind her ear. "N-n-never mind." She breathed, her face flushing red at her nervousness. "Forget I said anything. It's stupid."

"If you wish." He replied, making his words defrost. True, he didn't want to hear about the other male that had won her heart so he was glad when she suddenly decided to not tell him. Still, he was curious to know who it was.

An awkward silence fell on the two, making Kagome shift uncomfortably. She looked around the living room and saw that it was decorated with traditional, ancient Japanese relics and antiques. Above the fire mantel was a sword hanging on the wall. She hadn't seen anything like it before. But granted, she didn't know much about antiques.

Sesshoumaru followed her gaze and stood from his spot on the couch. He walked towards the mantel, his ponytail waving behind him, and removed the sword from its holder. Grasping the familiar blade in his hands, he walked back over to Kagome and sat down closer to her then before. "It is called Tenseiga."

"Tenseiga?" She asked, her heart very aware of their closeness. She held out her hands as he handed the sword to her and tenderly held it in her hands.

He nodded, his golden pools on her face as she stared down at his sword. "My father gave it to me when I was younger. It was originally his."

"How nice of him. It's beautiful, Sesshoumaru." She marveled, taking in the detail of the hilt and handle.

"It was his way of apologizing, I suppose." He commented, happy she had dropped the honorific again. She looked up at him with question in her entrancing eyes and let out a soft sigh. "He is the one who killed my mother."

Kagome let out a startled gasp, her hands tightening on the sword. "Oh my goodness, Sesshoumaru, I'm so sorry." How could someone kill their spouse? "Did he have a reason for doing it?"

He rested his forearms on his knees and laced his fingers together. "When youkai mate, they share an emotion bond with each other. You feel each other's emotions. It is designed for the couple to become closer." He began.

"Oh! That sounds romantic!" Kagome commented with a smile.

He gave a short nod and continued his story. "My father cheated on my mother and, with the bond, she knew exactly when it happened. It killed her from the inside and drove her into madness. When she saw me," He paused, clenching his hands. "She saw my father and tried to kill me. There was a brief moment she recognized me, but it didn't last long."

"What? Oh my, gosh. I'm sorry. So, is that why your father killed her? Because she tried to kill you?" She asked, reaching out and putting her hand on his.

"Yes, but I still cannot forgive him." Sesshoumaru replied. "I haven't talked to him since that day. He keeps trying to contact me, but I ignore it. But last night, he somehow stumbled across my phone number."

"Really? So did you talk to him?" She asked, her eyes focusing on his handsome face. She had never had such a deep talk with the taiyoukai. It was nice, despite the topic, but his face was a cold mask. He must have been hurting to put on such a mask.

He nodded, enjoying the feeling of her soft hand on his. "Yes, but it was brief. He wants to get together for Christmas."

"That's great!" When she received a somewhat startled look, she let out an embarrassed laugh. "Yes, he did something really bad, Sesshoumaru; I don't deny that. No matter what the circumstances, you don't kill your wife," She paused, a shadow of a sad look on her face. "But, family is family. He's your father and wants to reconnect with you. I envy you."

He stayed quiet for a moment, relaying her words. He hadn't thought about it like that. All the children at the orphanage didn't have any parents and yet here he was complaining about his own. Maybe his father was somewhat correct. How long could he hold a grudge? He looked up at Kagome once more and felt his heart squeeze at her gloomy look. Not caring of the man who had her heart, he reached up and cupped her cheek.

"I did not mean to make you sad." He said softly. He furrowed his brows as she looked up at him before putting her hand against his. Surely a woman who already had a man should not be allowing such an action? Still, he could not ignore the pleasure that coursed through him when she did not remove him.

She shook her head gently before giving him a small smile. "Sesshoumaru, I'm glad you could talk to me. I'm sorry if I seemed depressed. I just think you should value your parents if you have them. I was unfortunate in that category, but you still have your father. Despite his cruel act, he is still your dad."

He nodded and then became quiet. He should have seen it from this point of view a long time ago. With a soft sigh, he gazed into her eyes. "If I arrange a get together, will you join us? I may just kill him if left alone."

The miko blinked and then released a soft laugh. "Of course," She agreed and smiled up at him. As if she realizing their proximity, her face turned red again, her heartbeat thrumming hard. He didn't remove his hand! Did that mean maybe he did like her? But then why did he get so defensive when she mentioned she liked someone? "Will he be bringing anyone else?" She had to continue the conversation; she didn't want be left alone with her own thoughts.

"Probably my half-brother and step-mother." He added, his eyes taking in her red-stained cheeks.

"You have a brother! Have you met him before? I wish I had a sibling!" Kagome said suddenly, a bright smile on her face.

It was contagious for it made his lips curl into his own. "I have not. But, I suppose I will have to." Kami-sama, she was so beautiful and radiant. He wanted nothing more than to make her his own.

"Mmm, lucky." She said with a smile. She looked up at him and felt her heart skip a beat at the sight of his smile. Oh, how handsome he was when he smiled.

He shook his head and moved his face closer to hers. "No, the lucky one is who has your heart." He breathed.

His breath tickled her lips. Her eyes widened slightly at his closeness and words. Her face flushed again and her heart slammed around in her rib cage. "O-oh?" She whispered, the sudden desire to kiss him almost over powering her as she moved her face a fraction of an inch closer to him.

"Indeed," His voice was soft as he replied to her. He felt his lips brush against hers before they were interrupted by the children.

"Mama!" Shippou called and then blinked at how red her face was. "Are you okay? Do you have a cold?"

"W-what? No! I'm fine! Perfectly fine!" Kagome rushed out, laughing nervously.

"Papa! I found my room! When will all the stuff be here?" Rin asked, walking over to Sesshoumaru and plopping down in his lap with a wide smile.

He put his hand on her head and smoothed out her hair. He glanced at his watch and then back at the bright face of the girl. "They should be here any minute."

"Yay!" She cheered and hugged him tightly. As if remembering something, she pulled away from him slightly to look up at him. "Papa, can we…um…paint my room? Please?" She laced her fingers together and held her hands to her chest, giving him a very wide eyed pout.

He nearly recoiled at the puppy face. He simply could not say no to such a sad, pleading face. "I do not see why not."

"Yay!" She cheered once more and hugged him tightly. She then turned to Kagome and smiled wide. "Will you help, Kagome? It will be fun!"

Kagome gave a laugh and then nodded. "Sure, Rin-chan. We'll make it fit for a princess!"

Rin nodded enthusiastically and hugged the older girl before leaping off the couch and tapping Shippou on the shoulder. "Tag!" She called as she sped past him.

"W-what! Wait! Oh, I'm going to get you!" He called and ran after the human girl.

Kagome laughed as she watched them and then turned back to Sesshoumaru. "You know, eventually you'll have to build a resistance to the pout face. They'll get you every time with that."

"Is that what that was? Do they know it has such an effect?" He asked, looking at her once more.

"Of course they do! It's how the defeat us." She laughed once more at his serious look. "Don't worry, I'll help you."

He nodded. It seemed he would need her help a lot with this parenting thing. What exactly did he sign up for by doing this? Still, seeing her and Rin's bright smiles made it worth it. "You know, you don't have to help with the painting. I will hire someone to do it."

"Nonsense! It's much more fun to do it yourself! Haven't you even painted a room, Sesshoumaru?" She asked, looking at him curiously.

"No. I always hire people for stuff like that." He said, his tone serious. She actually painted her own rooms? Wasn't that beyond troublesome? And annoying? Plus, he didn't know the first step in painting a room himself.

"Well, then prepare for something new! It is a lot a fun and a great way to bond with your kid. Plus, Shippou and I will be there so it will go by fast." She said with another smile.

He gave another nod and stood up, taking Tenseiga from her. As he walked to the fire mantel, he asked her a question, "Are you busy Christmas?"

"Well, Shippou and I usually open Santa's presents in the morning and then go to the orphanage later, why?" She asked, watching his silky hair sway behind him.

"I was planning on having the get together then. Also, I've never had 'Christmas' before. I'm not quite sure how it works, especially with a child." He admitted, feeling somewhat awkward.

She let out a soft laugh. "Well, if you don't mind, we could spend the night Christmas Eve and I can help you set up for Christmas morning. Then we can open 'Santa's' presents when the morning comes."

"That would work. That is the same day I am going to have my father come over. Will that be acceptable? Or, if not, we could do Christmas Eve?"

"Christmas Eve would probably be better only because they probably have their own Christmas routine. That way, we will have time to visit the orphanage on Christmas." She smiled at him. "Will you have everything ready with two days? Tomorrow is the twenty-third already."

"Yes, but I may need you to go shopping with Rin tomorrow for a Christmas dress while I go out a run a few errands. Also, I will have her look through a catalog for paint tonight and have a servant pick it up for tomorrow."

"Sounds great!"

**AN: Sorry for the late update!**


	13. Preparations

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters. All credit goes to the amazing Takahashi-san!

_**A Christmas Healing**_

_**By: MissKatt**_

Chapter Twelve: Preparations

Kagome let out a heavy sigh as the threesome walked back into Sesshoumaru's large house. She, Shippou, and Rin had been shopping for the past two and half hours at the mall. A servant had been sent to follow them, secretly marking down and taking pictures of things Rin said she wanted when they ventured into toy stores. Later today, the servant would return to the mall and buy most of the items Rin had picked out. Kagome thought it was a clever way for Sesshoumaru to buy Rin her Christmas presents.

"Kagome! Is it time to paint my room yet?" Rin asked happily, looking up at woman as she set down two of the bags from earlier.

"Aren't you hungry? We should wait until we have full tummies." She said with a smile, watching as the little girl dug through the bags of clothes.

"I want to wait until Papa gets home," She stated and then pulled out her Christmas dress. It was a crimson color, the sides and hems lined with sheer, gold material. "Do you think he will like it?"

Kagome nodded. "Of course! You will look very pretty Rin-chan. Are you excited to meet your grandfather?"

Rin placed the dress back in its bag and fidgeted nervously. "I suppose…" she trailed off.

Shippou came up and gave the little girl a hug. "It will be okay, Rin-chan! I heard grandpa's are really nice and spoil their grandkids! You just have to sit through some boring stories every now and then. I personally wouldn't mind! I love hearing stories!" He said innocently, making Kagome's heart squeeze in guilt.

"I like them too!" She chimed and then pursed her lips together. "I just hope he is as nice as Papa."

"I'm sure he will be," Kagome tried to reassure the little girl. She attempted to push the idea of him killing his mate out of her head, but couldn't. So, she decided to look on the brighter side of it. At least he cared for children. That was why he killed his mate in the first place, right? To protect Sesshoumaru? She hoped so. Well, then again, he was married to a human at the moment, wasn't he?

Rin nodded and gave a toothy smile. "Well, can we start?"

"Hai," The miko said with a nod. "Let's!" She began to walk upstairs, leading the children up to Rin's room.

*~~~CH~~~*

Sesshoumaru's eyes were glued to his iPhone as if they were engaged in a staring contest. The black shiny surface mocked him, daring him to unlock it and make a dreaded call. He narrowed his eyes as his hand reached for it. Yes, now was the time to make the ca-

"Sesshou-kun~!"

He pulled his hand back as if his phone had suddenly stung him and looked up as Sakura bounced into his office. "Sakura."

"Since this is the last day I will see you until after the holidays, I got you a little something!" She said with a smile and made her way towards his desk. "Here!" She pulled her hands out from behind her back and presented him with a small envelope.

He raised a brow as he took it from her. Usually she insisted on bringing him baked goods every holiday, so this was definitely something different. He cast a glance up at her to see she was waiting impatiently for him to open it. Complying, he sliced open the envelope and withdrew a thick piece of paper. It was decorated in silver and gold print, an invitation resting within the words. He scanned the paper before looking back up at his secretary with confusion.

She giggled at his look before explaining. "My father owns the jewelry store at the mall. I know you've been talking to a lady lately so I thought maybe this could help guide you in what to get her for Christmas. It's a certificate to get half off your purchase." She saw his odd look and crossed her arms over her chest. "You better use it because people would kill for this deal!"

He nodded. "Thank you, Sakura. I will use it." He said and gave her a small smile. "Enjoy your Christmas."

She was taken back. Was he practically wishing her a 'Merry Christmas'? The scrooge? No way. She had to meet this girl he was dating. Whoever could change his heart and views on the holiday so suddenly was surely a goddess in disguise. "Y-you too, Sesshoumaru." She flashed him a smile before leaving the office.

He watched her leave before turning back to his taunting iPhone. With a sigh and will of determination, he picked it up and unlocked it, tapping on the 'Recent' icon. He found the unlisted number from two nights ago and dialed.

Within two rings, he was met by his father's surprised voice. "Son?"

"Hai. If you want to get to together tomorrow, then I will host it." He said with an air of confidence, but he was honestly slightly nervous. He had thought out his words, trying to find the right thing to say, for a while.

"Tomorrow at your place?" His father echoed, hope evident in his voice. "Is it acceptable to bring Izayoi and Inuyasha? It is Christmas."

"I already assumed that you would." The inuyoukai replied, fidgeting in his desk chair, swiveling it back and forth as the conversation continued.

"I am glad, Sesshoumaru, that you have allowed me this chance." Touga spoke, his tone reflecting his feeling of relief. "Not that I am complaining at all, but what has brought on this change?"

Sesshoumaru was silent for a moment as he considered his words again. Images of Kagome flooded his mind along with Rin and Shippou. "A new influence in my life."

"Ho? A potential mate, perhaps?"

He could almost see his father grinning his mischievous grin; the same one from his childhood. The taiyoukai gave a small smile. "Perhaps."

When he arrived at home, he could hear the musical sounds of giggles and laughs from upstairs. Handing his briefcase and coat to a maid, he headed up towards Rin's room. He dodged the girl's new furniture as it stood in his way in the hall and pushed open the door to the room. He could not help but smile at the sight before him.

A plastic sheet had been placed on the ground, preventing any spills (and there were many) from staining he carpet. Blue tape was placed around the door way, window sill, and molding, marking off where to stop painting. He momentarily mused that perhaps they had more paint on themselves than the actual walls. Shippou was sporting a finger-painted heart on his cheek, his clothes stained with pink streaks. Rin's hair looked as if she had put it up into a ponytail with paint-clad hands, her face not much better. Her new baby blue shirt would need to be thrown out as well as her jeans. Kagome wasn't in much better shape. Her black hair had streaks of pink in it, her cheeks and hands speckled with pink droplets as well as her shirt.

At the sound of the door opening, they all looked at him and smiled widely. "Welcome home!" They chimed as one.

He continued to smile. Was this how it felt to have a family? He could get use to something like this, despite the mess. He felt as if they made his house feel like a home and not just a place where he lived. "I take it the painting it going well?"

Kagome glanced around the room and at their slow progress. They had only finished two and a half walls in the past three hours. "Umm, it's going." She said with a laugh.

"Papa!" Rin called, running over to him and hugging him around the waist. As if remembering her paint-covered arms, she quickly pulled back and gasped at the mess she had created on her father. "Gomen, Papa, gomen!" She said quickly, her eyes filling with tears. Of all the families she had been with, she did not want to mess this one up. She loved her new Otou-san and didn't want him to cast her aside like everyone else had.

He furrowed his brows as her eyes pooled with tears before pouring down her cheeks. He kneeled down in front of her and put his hand on her head. "It is okay, Rin. It is just a shirt." He said and offered her a small smile when she stared up at him.

"R-really?" She asked, her bottom lip quivering.

"Hai," He said and patted her head before standing back up. "At this rate, you will not finish until late." He rolled up his sleeves.

Kagome stuck her tongue out at him. "Then maybe you should help!" She said and tossed a brush at him. She was so happy that he did not get upset with Rin. She knew he would be a good father; and it made her all the more attracted to him.

He easily caught it and gave her a smirk. "I suppose if I must to get the job done."

The miko gave him a smile and turned back towards the unfinished wall while Sesshoumaru began on the other. She dipped her brush into the pan of paint and began to stroke on the pink liquid. Ah, painting. She loved the activity. It had always been a hobby of hers. Granted, she wasn't very good at it, but she enjoyed it nonetheless. She had been more than happy when she found out how ecstatic Shippou was about drawing and coloring. Her fridge was covered in all of his drawings and she had to admit, the boy was talented!

She continued to paint on the liquid until her and Sesshoumaru were side-by-side, meeting at the only blank space left. She flashed him a smile as they finished before she glanced over her shoulder to see the children lying down on the ground, their lids sealed shut. "It seems the sandman came early for our tykes." She commented with her voice low.

Sesshoumaru turned and followed her gaze. With another small smile, he found himself doing this a lot lately, he turned back to Kagome. "It seems so." He set down his brush into the pan as she did and walked over to the children. "Shall we change them and put them to bed?"

"I don't have any spare clothes for Shippou," She said softly, a small pang of disappointment poking at her. She did want to stay there; she felt as if they were a big family. She mentally slapped herself at the silly idea. "It's okay; I'll just take him home."

"Nonsense, Kagome, it is late. One of the servants who stay here has a young boy. I'm sure they will fit. Come, we'll clean them up a little before putting them to bed." He said and easily scooped up both children in his arms.

She smiled softly at his action. Yes, despite the silliness, they looked like a family. She followed him down the hall to the spare bedroom and to the bathroom that was attached to it. She grabbed a washcloth and dipped it under warm water before gently scrubbing the paint off their faces, hands, and most of their hair. Kagome ran and grabbed Rin's new pjs and dressed her in them while Sesshoumaru went and grabbed some for Shippou. After the two were changed and half-way cleaned, they were placed in the bed together.

The miko gently shut the door behind her and looked up at Sesshoumaru. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru. Sorry to inconvenience you like this." She thanked as they stalked down the other end of the hall.

"It is not a problem," He started and then, daring to be bold once more, continued on with his thoughts. "I enjoy your company; you and Shippou."

She nodded. "It kind of feels…right. You know?" She spoke her mind and as the words came out, her face flushed red. "Oh, I'm sorry for my babble talk. I guess I'm just tired." She gave him an awkward laugh before sharply turning her attention to the floor.

"It does." He agreed, opening the door to his room for her. The corner of his lips twitched up into a smile at the sight of her surprised look, her cheeks still flushed.

She was at a loss of words. What was she supposed to say to that? Well, she didn't want to _say_ anything. She wanted to reach up and capture his lips. Her lips still felt like they burned from the feeling of his from yesterday. It wasn't a kiss, but she could still remember the feeling of his lips as they brushed against hers.

"You may use the shower first. I apologize there are no other bathrooms or bedrooms. The maids use the ones downstairs." He said, slightly feeling awkward that she did not respond to what he had said. Did he cross the line again? Argh, he had to watch himself more closely.

"Oh, no, it's okay. I understand," She said and then looked down at her paint-covered clothes. "I just don't have any clothes." Though, if she was sharing a bed with Sesshoumaru, she wouldn't mind just being in her bra and panties.

'Ahhhh! Kagome! Stop it!' She thought, her eyes still on her shirt.

"I have gym shorts and a shirt you can borrow." He suggested, mentally beating himself up for not seeing if she would first go to bed without any clothes. Ah, of course she wouldn't! Kagome's not some whore that would sleep around. Though, she wouldn't be called that if she stayed with him.

She gave a small smile, though she was slightly disappointed. She made her way to the bathroom and shut the door behind her. She peeled off her clothes and tossed them into the corner of the bathroom. She started the water, waited until it was warm, and then stepped in. She sighed contently as the water washed over her body, a smile on her face.

She rubbed at her face as she thought about the oncoming events. She would be meeting Sesshoumaru's father and family tomorrow. She suddenly felt more nervous about that than sharing the bed with him. Also, she would be spending the night tomorrow night as well so that they could all do Christmas together. Granted, by then Rin's room would be finished and her and Shippou would have the guest room, but still. Looking back at everything, she blushed. Maybe Sesshoumaru really did like her. After all, he did try to kiss her right? Her hand rose to her lips, her fingers lightly touching them. She smiled shyly at the thought.

Finishing her shower, she turned off the water and stepped out. She wrapped one of the large towels around her and looked around the bathroom, realizing she didn't grab the clothes he said he would lend her. Embarrassed, she cracked open the door and stuck her head out, looking at the handsome male as he sat on the bed. Upon hearing her clear her throat, he looked up.

"Um, can I have those clothes?" He nodded and picked up the folded clothes on the bed. He walked over to the bathroom door and handed them to her through the crack. "Thanks!"

He watched as she disappeared back into the bathroom only to reemerge a few minutes later. His eyes took in how his clothes looked on her and he was pleased. His t-shirt was baggy on her, as well as the shorts, but it somehow suited her.

She walked toward him with a smile, a towel in her hands. "Your turn!" She said and laughed, trying to hide her nervousness as his eyes roamed over her; not that she minded. She sat down on the bed and began to rub the towel along her wet hair, trying to dry it.

Sesshoumaru nodded and stood before walking to the bathroom after grabbing his clothes. He let the water get semi-hot before disrobing and stepping into the shower. He pulled out his ponytail and set it on the ledge, releasing his hair before it pooled around him and clung to his damp skin.

He thought about what tomorrow would bring and was anxious for his own reasons. His father was a very pushy kind of youkai. He would insist on details about Kagome and their mating and why they haven't mated yet. Then he would go on about how he had chosen a human mate just like his 'Old Man' and yadda yadda yadda. He didn't want Kagome to feel uncomfortable, but was nervous to warn her first in case she decided otherwise. Though, he doubted she would run from something she gave her word for.

He wrapped up his washing and turned off the water. He rung out his long hair before stepping out of the shower and grabbed the other towel. He dried himself off before dressing in something similar to Kagome's apparel. The inuyoukai quickly dried his hair with a towel and then left the bathroom.

He let a smile fall back on his lips when he saw Kagome curled up into a little ball on his side of the bed, fast asleep. He silently ventured over to the other side of the bed and crawled in. He tugged on the covers a little until they were covered by them. Before he could help himself, he was moving towards her sleeping form, his face a mere inches from hers. With another soft smile, he placed a light kiss on her forehead before rolling back over to his side of the bed.

**A/N: Yayyyy longer chapter! :3 I promise their moment will be coming soon. Also, for those who follow BHL as well, it will /not/ be updated this week. Sorry, real life sucks!**

**-MissKatt**


	14. Meet the Parents

**A/N: I almost didn't have this chapter done by today haha you guys are lucky I love you :3 **

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters. All credit goes to the amazing Takahashi-san!

_**A Christmas Healing**_

_**By: MissKatt**_

Chapter Thirteen: Meet the Parents

"You think we should wake them up?" Rin whispered to Shippou. The children had woken up early and nearly bounced around when they realized it was Christmas Eve. They had rushed around the house, hoping their parents were awake, but had found them fast asleep in Sesshoumaru's room. Now, they stood at the foot of the bed, looking at the two. Kagome was curled up to Sesshoumaru's side, her head on his chest and her leg draped over his. One of Sesshoumaru's arms was wrapped around her waist, the other hand resting on her leg.

Shippou glanced at Rin and then back to his mother. He had never seen her look so peaceful. Even when she was dating Kouga, she never really let him spend the night. She knew he didn't like the wolf, so she always tried to end their time together quickly. However, Shippou really liked Sesshoumaru and thought the youkai was perfect for his mother. He was nice, strong, and rational; everything Kouga wasn't.

Finally, he came to his resolution. "Yes!" Not that he didn't want his mom to continue her sleep, but he was too excited that it was the day before Christmas. Plus, the Christmas party was later that day!

Rin grinned mischievously and slowly raised one finger at a time until she reach three. The two let out a holler and leapt onto the bed, jumping onto their unsuspecting parents.

Kagome let out a startled gasp and snapped open her eyes as she felt something semi-heavy land on her. She blinked tiredly and tries to focus on Shippou. "Shippou-chan?" She asked, raising her head from her warm 'pillow' and rubbed at her eyes.

"Mama! It's Christmas Eve!" He cooed, tapping his mother's cheek.

Kagome, never being a morning person, rested her cheek back down on her pillow. She blinked once, then twice, and lifted her head back up. She gazed down at Sesshoumaru's chest and then up at his face. He had a small smirk on his face, Rin lying on his other side with a wide grin.

The miko blushed profusely and sat up quickly. "Ah! Sesshoumaru, I'm so sorry!" She said hastily and put her hands on her face, trying to hide her embarrassment.

Sesshoumaru sat up and leaned back against the head board, a small smile on his face. Rin promptly sat down in his lap, taking a strand of his long hair and braiding it. "It is not a problem, Kagome." He said. To be honest, he had been awake a long while before the children ran in. He had watched her sleep and enjoyed the warmth that was created with their bodies mingled together.

"Ah, but, I was-" She blushed another hue and shook her head as Shippou leapt into her lap.

"Mama! It's Christmas Eve! The party is tonight!" He said happily, a large grin on his face. "We have to get ready!"

She looked down at her son and gave a smile at how excited he was. She, on the other hand, was extremely nervous to meet Sesshoumaru's father's family. She really wanted to make sure she left a good impression, but how could she when she was so clumsy and awkward? She really hoped she didn't make an ass of herself.

She turned towards Sesshoumaru. "What time did you want us over?"

"Five is when they will be here." He replied, looking down at Rin as she finished his braid and held it up for him to see. He nodded at her handiwork and then turned back to Kagome. "Will you come a little before?"

She couldn't help but smile at the exchange of the two. "Of course."

*~~~CH~~~*

Sesshoumaru glanced at the watch on his wrist. It was 5:03pm. His father wasn't there yet, not that that was truly bugging him, but Kagome wasn't there yet either. Where was she? She said she would come early, so why wasn't she? He mentally smacked himself in the face. He felt as if he had become so reliable on her. He truly felt like he wouldn't be able to make it through the night without her there to calm him down.

He sighed and turned towards the stairs when he heard Rin coming down them. He smiled when he saw her all dressed up in her deep red dress. It had poufy, sheer sleeves, the bottom nearly touching the ground. The maid had curled her hair and tied back the sides to create an up-down hair do.

"Papa, do I look pretty?" She asked, grabbing the sides of her dress to lift the fabric a little before spinning around.

He gave her another smile and nodded. "Yes," His ears picked up the sounds of footsteps on his patio. He tightened his hands into fists when he realized it was his father and not the person he was actually waiting for. With another mental sigh, he walked forward and opened the door.

There was that awkward moment where the four just stood there looking at each other. Sesshoumaru glanced at his father first. He wore a white button-up with a black blazer and black slacks. His face hadn't aged in the past twenty-two years. He then looked at Izayoi, his new wife, and her un-aged, smiling face. The bond mark had served its purpose and kept her immortal like his father. She was wearing a shin-length black dress, her long brown hair tied back into a curled ponytail. He did not blame the woman for his father's choice; he couldn't for he knew how his father could be. He then looked at his younger half-brother. He lacked any markings, but atop of his short cropped hair were triangle ears. He wore a bright red button up, a white under shirt peeking out from the unbuttoned portion. He looked positively bored and annoyed to be there; however, as soon as he saw Sesshoumaru's eyes fall on him, his eyes widened a fraction.

Sesshoumaru let his golden eyes fall on his father once more. He watched his father's face contort into a large grin before he stepped forward and enveloped his eldest son in a bear hug.

"Son! Merry Christmas!" He called happily and nearly crushed Sesshoumaru with his excitement. He released Sesshoumaru and watched with another grin as his son fixed his crimson tie. He then smacked him son hard on the back. "It's been too long, Sesshoumaru."

"Indeed." Sesshoumaru replied and stepped back into his house, turning to the side to allow the trio inside. "Dinner will be soon." As soon as Kagome gets here. Where was she?

"Ah, Sesshoumaru-kun, your house is lovely." Izayoi said with a sweet smile. She herself felt pretty awkward. She knew what happened with Sesshoumaru's mother and couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible.

"Thank you, Izayoi-san," He replied, and felt a tug on the back of his pants. He looked behind him and saw a very shy Rin hiding behind him.

"No formalities here, Sesshoumaru!" Touga said and then let his nose turn his attention to the crimson dress poking out behind his son's legs. "Ohh? Who do we have here?" He asked as he crouched down in front of his son.

Rin blinked and slowly came out from behind her father's legs. With a shy blush, she twiddled her thumbs while looking down. "M-my name is Rin…"

"Rin?" The older youkai asked with a smile. He checked her scent twice just to make sure he it wasn't failing him in his old age. There was no doubt about it; she was full human so this was not his son's biological child in any way. He looked up at Sesshoumaru with a questioning look.

"I adopted her a few days ago." He replied and gently put his hand on his daughter's head, making sure to not mess up her hair. She looked up at him unsurely before turning her attention back to Touga.

Touga smiled at his son's kindness before glancing over at Izayoi. "Look, love, we have a grandchild!" He grinned and then turned back to Rin and opened his arm. "Come give your Jiji a hug!"

She blinked before a large smile began to creep onto her face. "Jiji!" She chimed and launched herself into his arms. She let out a laugh when he picked her up and spun her around.

"We always wanted grandchildren, Sesshou," Touga replied, holding the girl on his hip, a smile still in place. He glanced around the house once more. "So, where is this intended mate?"

Sesshoumaru let his brow rise before he glanced at the door. "She is running late."

"Don't worry, Jiji, Kagome will be here! She was very excited to meet you! Oh, and she has a son named Shippou and he's a fox! And he's a lotta fun, but he's fast! It's really hard to play tag with him sometimes!" She rambled on.

"Oh, really? Well, maybe we'll have to trick him!" Touga said, enjoying the sound of children babble. He missed it. He and Izayoi wanted more children, but when she had Inuyasha it had damaged her uterus to where she couldn't conceive another child. He gave her sides a tickle, chuckled at her laugh, and then set her back down. She smiled up at him and then walked over to Izayoi when she beckoned her.

Sesshoumaru watched as Rin interacted with her grandma and uncle and then glanced at his father when he came over to stand beside him. "A kit, hm?"

"No, she is a human, miko, really, and adopted a kit a few years ago." He replied, looking at his father. It was so weird that they were able to communicate so easily. He definitely thought it would be a lot harder to do so.

"Ah, so she's the one who changed your heart. I am truly grateful for her." He said softly, smiling at his son.

"Yes, she has opened my eyes quite a bit," Sesshoumaru nodded and then felt his lips turn into a smile at the thought of her.

Touga watched with satisfied eyes. "I am glad. You needed someone to help fill the hole in your heart that I created." He sighed and looked down. "There is not a day that goes by that I do not think about what happened. I truly am sorry, Sesshou, I just hope you can see my reasoning behind it."

The Taisho heir remained quiet for a moment. "As much as I still hate the fact of what you have done, I do see your side. That is another thing you may thank her for," He replied and then felt his heart quicken when he sensed her presence at the door. "She is here." He stated with a smile before walking to the front door and opening it once more.

"Ah! Sesshoumaru, I'm so sorry! There was an accident because of the ice on the road and we were stuck behind it forever!" The miko instantly apologized, a small pout on her face.

He gave her a soft laugh and stepped aside so she and Shippou could come in. He took her coat and overnight bag from her and handed it to a butler. He turned back to her and felt his mouth nearly drop open at the sight of her. She wore a deep green halter dress that was about knee-length. Her ebony hair was pulled back into a bun, her eyes lined with a little bit of black liner. She wore black flats and he knew it was because she wouldn't risk tripping in front of his family with her heels.

She was in the same boat as him. He looked stunning in his satin black button up and crimson tie. He wore casual black slacks, his long hair pulled into his usual low ponytail. He always looked amazing and handsome. When she realized she was staring, she quickly looked away and saw Rin playing with a lady and young male.

"Rin-chan! You look so pretty!" She commented when the girl looked her way.

"Kagome!" She called happily and ran over, hugging the older girl around her legs. "No, you look pretty! I like you dress!" She said and then looked at Shippou. "Shippou!" She grinned and hugged him tightly. "Jiji and I are going to trick you so you can't keep beating me at tag anymore!"

"Ha! We'll see!" Shippou taunted and stuck his tongue out until Touga ventured closer. He blinked up at the inuyoukai and his tail automatically lowered when the man's powerful aura nearly squashed his.

Touga smiled reassuringly down at the kit before looking at Kagome. "Ah, you must be Kagome! I have heard so much about you!" He cheered happily and held his hand out for the girl.

She smiled and took his hand, shaking it. She felt a jolt of his youkai pulse through her, making the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. Knowing a challenge when faced with one, she sent her own flare of energy at him. She heard him chuckle before bending low and kissing the back of her hand. "I am Touga," He said when he straightened up. "This is my wife Izayoi and my son Inuyasha."

Trying to seem unfazed by their encounter, she smiled at them and shook their hands. "It is very nice to meet you. This is my son Shippou. Shippou-chan, make sure you say hello to everyone." She said, looking down at the kit.

Shippou bent stiffly into a formal bow, his new Christmas clothes still slightly restricting. His mother had insisted to dress him in slack and a white collared shirt with a black and red vest. "Konbanwa!" He greeted and straightened back up.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, dinner is served." A maid came in and announced with a bow.

He nodded and ushered everyone to the dining room. As everyone was filing out of the room, he put his hand on the small of Kagome's back and slowed her down so they could talk. When she looked up at him with an unspoken question, he asked, "Are you alright?"

"Yes, why?" She asked, blinking.

"I know what he did. I will have a talk with him about it." He replied, his amber orbs staring intently down into hers.

She shook her head. "It's okay. I played back. It'll take a lot more than that to scare me off." She said with a wink and grasped his hand before continuing to walk to the dining room with him.

Sesshoumaru felt a small smile tilt up his lips at her enthusiasm. It was bound to be a good night.


	15. Christmas Gift

**A/N: Thank you everyone for the reviews! :3 Sadly, _A Christmas Healing_ the next chapter will be the last one. I never planned for it to go on this long, so I am very surprised that it did. Plus, it took me TWO months just to get to Christmas! XD **

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters. All credit goes to the amazing Takahashi-san!

_**A Christmas Healing**_

_**By: MissKatt**_

Chapter Fourteen: Christmas

"What a delicious meal, Sesshoumaru-kun. Do you always have these maids to help you?" Izayoi asked as they group filed into the living room. She sat down on the couch while the maid walked around handing out tea.

"I do. Suki and her son live here." Sesshoumaru replied, sitting down on the couch as he eyed the kitchen where Kagome and his father were.

"Hai. Sesshoumaru-sama was very kind as to take us in when we were evicted from our house." Suki said with a smile as she handed Inuyasha a cup of tea. She left the tray on the table and left to clean up the dishes in the dining room.

"Oh! How very nice of you, Sesshoumaru-kun! You are just like your father!" She said with a sweet smile and sipped at her tea. She glanced at her son and then at Sesshoumaru. "So, Sesshoumaru, I see you kept Tenseiga."

Sesshoumaru's amber eyes glanced at the wall-mounted sword. "Hai." He then glanced at Inuyasha when he let out a chuckle.

"Tenseiga? Keh, it's nothing compared Tessaiga!" The hanyou spat, crossing his arms over his chest.

The Taisho Corp owner narrowed his eyes before letting his lips tilt into a smirk. "You received Tessaiga because you need the extra help in order to beat a mere housefly."

"What the hell did you just say?" Inuyasha asked as he quickly got to his feet, pushing up the sleeves of his red shirt.

Sesshoumaru rose to the challenge and loosened his tie before taking a defensive state. He held up his hand and beckoned his half-brother to come. Without waiting another heartbeat, Inuyasha lurched at his brother and the two began to wrestle on the floor.

"No! Boys! Stop!" Izayoi hollered, setting her cup down and getting to her feet before rushing over to the two. "Inuyasha! Sesshoumaru! Stop this!" When they ignored her and continued on with their fighting, she tilted her head back and cried out her husband's name. "Touga!"

*~~~CH~~~*

"I apologize if I came off as rude," Touga began once his family had left the dining room, the children off playing in Rin's room. "I hope I did not offend you."

Kagome shook her head and smiled up at the inuyoukai. "I figured you had a reason. But, would you mind explaining? It was sort of a shock, to say the least."

He let out a light chuckle before looking out the window to the snow covered garden. "I wanted to test you. I had to make sure you were not some weak human who would use my son for his money." He replied and let out a soft sigh.

The miko blinked, not sure if she should be offended or not. "And your conclusion?"

"Ha ha, you passed, my dear. Normally, a simple human would have fled at my threat, but you challenged mine with your own. I am impressed. You remind me of when I first met Izayoi. I did the same thing to her when she introduced herself to me. She is not a miko, but she had the wit to give me a pleasant smile before kneeing me in a place a knee should never be." He gave a chuckle at the memory before looking at the human once more. He gave a small smile and then put his hand on her shoulder. "I have much to thank you for, Kagome-san."

"Just Kagome, please, Taisho-san. And what exactly have I done to earn your gratitude?" She looked down at his hand before gazing back up at his face. She traced the jagged blue stripe on each of his cheeks with her eyes. She couldn't help but feel that Sesshoumaru's were more elegant and perfected.

"You have melted the ice around my son's heart. He would have never contacted me and allowed this arrangement on his own. He said he had a new influence and admitted that it was you. You have given me my son back, Kagome. I cannot thank you enough." He said with a tilt of a smile.

She blinked once more before her expression softened into a smile. "Taisho-san, your son has done so much for me that words can't express it. I wish I knew how to repay him, but he refuses all and anything I offer." She replied and then shook her head with a smile. "Honestly, I am happy we are spending Christmas together, but I'm nervous for it to end."

"Oh?" He asked, cocking an eyebrow at her.

She let out a nervous laugh and pushed a lock of her bangs from her eyes before looking down. "Because I'm afraid for it to be over." She admitted.

"Over? Why would it be over?"

She gave a little shrug. "I think this is all only happening because of Christmas. I feel like once the season is over, so will this little fairytale." She couldn't believe she was spilling her heart to her crush's father, but she felt like she had to tell someone. She perked her head up when he began to laugh.

Oh, these kids and their games. "Trust me; I do not believe it will be over so easily." Why did they not just tell each other how they feel?

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because he obviously-"

"Touga!"

Kagome and Touga both blinked before they hurried into the living room at Izayoi's scream. As they stumbled onto the scene, Kagome heard Touga's growl before she saw him launch himself at his sons. She let out a gasp when she saw both males get thrown onto opposite couches. She walked over to Sesshoumaru and, seeing he was still glaring at his brother, put her hands on his shoulders.

"What is the matter with you two?" Touga asked, looking from one to another. "It's Christmas Eve! This is the first time you guys met and you're going to fight?"

"Keh, he started it." Inuyasha huffed like a child and folded his arms over his chest before looking off to the side.

"Are you okay?" Kagome asked, giving Sesshoumaru's shoulders a gentle squeeze.

He tilted his head up to look at her and couldn't help but give a small smile at her concerned expression. "Do not worry, Kagome. No hanyou will ever bring harm to me."

"Hey!" Inuyasha snapped.

"Sesshou!" Touga growled.

When he didn't reply, Kagome cleared her throat. "Umm, so, who's ready for dessert?"

*~~~CH~~~*

"Are the children asleep?" Sesshoumaru asked as he heard Kagome venture down stairs to where the Christmas tree was. He turned to look at her and saw that she had changed out of her dark green dress and into a pair of black yoga pants and a plain, white t-shirt.

"Yep! All tucked away!" She said and then walked towards the Christmas tree that the butlers had set up. The maids had wrapped all the presents and tucked them neatly under the tree. "They did a great job!"

"Indeed," He shifted on the couch and felt his heart beat in anticipation at the rectangular box resting under the pillow next to him. "Tea?" He asked, not wanting to make it too obvious that he wanted her to come sit next to him.

She nodded and walked over to him. She sat down next to him, knowing all too well she was very close to him and accepted the tea he handed her. The two fell into a comfortable silence as they sipped their tea and enjoyed each other's company. Biting the rim of her mug in nervousnes, she let herself lean in towards him.

Sesshoumaru enjoyed the feeling of her frame against his. He resisted the urge to nuzzle her hair as her scent drifted into his nose. Deeming the time right, he reached under the pillow and pulled out the silver wrapped present and held it up for her.

"E-eh?" Kagome muttered unintelligently as the gift was held out in front of her. She put down her cup and took the box into her hands. "Sesshoumaru, you didn't have to get me anything."

"But I did. You deserve it." He replied and watched as she began to tear open the paper.

Once the paper was off, she flipped open the lid of the box and let out a soft gasp. It was a short, silver, mini-chain necklace with a crescent moon shape full of alexandrite stones hanging from it. "S-Sesshoumaru…?"

He studied her face carefully. "Does it displease you?"

"No!" She quickly said and sat up straight to look at him. "This is absolutely stunning! It's too stunning! This is just too much! It had to cost a fortune! I can't accept this! Please, take it back!"

"Nonsense." He shook his head.

"B-but-

"No buts." He interrupted and gently took the chain from her. "May I?"

Still stunned, she turned around and pulled her hair to the side so that her neck was exposed to him. She felt the cool of the chain rest above her collarbones and the click of the clasp. Before she could release her hair, she paused and her eyes widened when she felt his lips press on her base of her neck. Her face burned hot and she knew she was as red as a cherry. She slowly turned towards him and felt her stomach twist as she stared up into his amber orbs.

Sesshoumaru knew it was a bold move, but did not want to be delayed any longer. He needed to know her true feelings and wanted them now. He put his hand on her cheek and moved in towards her lips.

Kagome was all too eager to comply. As she went to meet him, she bumped noses with him, a little too anxious. She pulled away, rubbing her nose with an embarrassed blush. "I-I'm sorry! I'm just-It was just-I was so-" She rambled.

The inuyoukai put both of his hands on her cheeks, cupping her face, and put his thumb over her lips. "Shh." His voice was soft, but her lips were softer as he pressed his against hers.

Kagome nearly melted as they finally shared their first kiss. His lips were so smooth and gentle. A swarm of butterflies erupted in her tummy and she felt as if she could stay there forever with him. She put her hands on his chest as they broke the kiss as they stared at each other.

"Why," She breathed. "Why did we wait so long to do that?"

He let out a soft chuckle and finally nuzzled her hair. "We will not have to wait any more." He said softly before pressing a kiss on the top of her head.

She smiled happily and curled into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to him. She couldn't help but think of Touga's words. _'Trust me, I do not believe it will be over so easily.'_ She smiled wider and closed her eyes.

She believed it wouldn't be over so easily either.


	16. Epilogue: Life

**A/N: Thank you everyone for all the support on this fic! It has been great having you guys as my followers :3 I'm kind of sad it's ending T_T**

**Also, I did use some of my drabbles for part of this fic. Since it was never finished, I am finishing it here :3**

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or its characters. All credit goes to the amazing Takahashi-san!

_**A Christmas Healing**_

_**By: MissKatt**_

Epilogue: Life

"Higurashi-sensei!"

Kagome looked up from grading her papers and to the student who was now standing in front of her desk. "Hai, Pinta-chan?"

The girl smiled wide and moved her hands from behind her back to in front of her, holding up a bouquet of daisies to her teacher. "Congratulations! This is from all of us!" The girl beamed and nodded over to the rest of the class who was staring at the two with grins.

Kagome blinked before putting her red pen down and standing up to take the flowers. "Thank you, everyone! This was very nice for you guys to do for me! I will be thinking about you guys when I am gone!" She said and smiled happily at her students. She watched Pinta return to her seat and looked down at the bright flowers. They reminded her of _that_ night.

"_Ah, Sesshoumaru, they're beautiful!" The miko cooed, taking the bouquet of brightly colored roses into her hands. He knew her so well. Yes, she knew that every color of rose meant a different thing, but she didn't care. She loved vibrant roses of all colors and felt that red were too cliché. She looked up at him and reached up on her tip-toes to press a kiss to his lips. "Thank you."_

_Sesshoumaru returned the kiss and gave her a smile. "You are very welcome, Kagome. It is Valentine's Day and thus marks a year that you decided to be mine."_

"_Decided?" She snickered at him. "Don't you mean you decided to finally ask me to be your girlfriend?" She asked and laughed when he shot her a pointed look._

"_Yes, I waited two months to ask you because I was not sure you wanted a relationship." He countered and led her towards the dining room._

"_Then you should have asked," She retorted and stuck her tongue out at him. When she was swept into the dining room, she smiled at the romantic setting. There was a candle stick holder with three long, white candles that were lit to provide a comfortable atmosphere. Dinner was already served on their plates and ready to be eaten. "Did you…?"_

"_Yes," He replied, already knowing her question. She had scolded him for relying on his hired help too much so he had started to do things on his own. "I made dinner."_

"_Ah! It looks amazing!" She gushed, looking down at the teriyaki beef plate he had prepared for her. She blinked and smiled kindly at the butler as he set down a glass of wine in front of her. She picked it up and raised it to her lips, the bitter-sweet tasting liquid spilling onto her tongue. "Mmm." She commented and set the glass down before opening her eyes to see her love kneeling before her. "When did you…?"_

"_You always close your eyes when you drink," He murmured, looking down. "So this was the perfect time."_

"_Sesshoumaru?" She had never heard him murmur before, nor did he ever not meet her gaze when she spoke to him. _

'_Oh my goodness.' She thought, her heart freezing in her chest. He was breaking up with her! What did she do? Where did she go wrong? Where there any signs? No, not that she could remember! B-but, they were _mated_! You can't take that back can you? She continued to beat herself up mentally until she felt him grasp her hand. _

"_Kagome," He began, raising his eyes to stare into hers. He pulled something from his pocket and held it up for her to see. She stared at the ring between his fingers, her mouth dropping open in awe. "Will you-"_

"_HAI!" She practically screamed before tackling him to the ground in a tight bear hug. She couldn't believe she had been so foolish as to think that he was going to break up with her! Still, she was beyond surprised to see that he had proposed to her! _

"_You did not let me finish," He scolded, but she saw a smile on his lips as he hugged her to him._

Kagome sighed dreamily at the memory and looked at the silver ring on her wedding finger, three diamonds shined brilliantly at her and she couldn't help but smile. She glanced at the clock as the bell rang and got to her feet. She put her hand to her heart as it fluttered excitedly. She was getting married in a few hours.

*~~~CH~~~*

Sesshoumaru clenched his hands into fists nervously as he stood at the altar, waiting for his bride to walk down the aisle. They were mated as youkai mates should be, yes, but he knew a wedding would truly make her happy. He looked towards the bride's maids and gazed down at the yellow roses. He smiled as he recalled the night he had proposed to her.

_His amber orbs watched as she gingerly rose her glass of wine to her lips. He could not wait any longer. As soon as she walked in, he wanted to ask her then and there, but wanted to surprise her. He waited for her to close her eyes and, within the blink of an eye, he was kneeling down in front her. _

"_When did you…?" She asked, looking down at him. _

"_You always close your eyes when you drink," He murmured, looking down. "So this was the perfect time." What was wrong with him? He never murmured his words! He knew he was nervous, but to this point?_

"_Sesshoumaru?" He didn't meet her gaze; he was too busy trying to calm his racing heart. This was foolish! She was already his mate, so why was he so nervous about a simple question?_

"_Kagome," He began, raising his eyes to stare into sapphire pools. He dug his hand into his pocket and fingered the cool metal. Finally, he withdrew it from the confinement of his pocket and held it out in front of her. He watched carefully as she stared at the ring between his fingers, her mouth dropping open in awe. "Will you-" He began._

"_HAI!" He nearly flinched at her enthusiastic scream and let her tackle him to the ground in a tight bear hug. He could not believe he had been so foolish as to think she would deny him! Still, he couldn't deny the flutter of his heart at her response._

"_You did not let me finish." He scolded, but could not be mad at her. She was now his fiancée and he was glad he had made her so happy._

Sesshoumaru perked his head up and looked towards the aisle when he heard the band begin to play. First came Rin, scattering yellow rose petals along the runner. She looked adorable with her hair tied up into a curly bun; a white mini ball gown dress shimmered as she walked. She grinned at her father before going to go stand next to Sango. Sango and Kagome had become exceedingly close when he had moved the pair back to Tokyo once they were reunited with her brother. Rin, Shippou, and Kohaku all went to the same school, so play dates were the common excuse for the girls to get together.

Speaking of Shippou, he followed Rin down the aisle as the ring bearer. He wore a smaller version of his own suit, white of course. He gave the kit a reassuring smile as he came over to stand next to him, Inuyasha, and Miroku. Yes, he and Inuyasha had become somewhat close, forming their bond as brothers hadn't been easy, but they were getting there.

Sesshoumaru then felt the hair on his neck prickle up in anticipation when he heard the symphony that announced the arrival of his bride. He looked up and saw his father walking her down the aisle. She and Touga had a connection not even he could explain, but he knew they had become very close so he wasn't all too surprised that she had asked his father to walk her down the aisle. Touga, of course, was all too willing to do it.

He felt his palms sweat as she drew nearer. She was stunning in her white dress. It was a sweetheart design with sleeves that hung off the shoulders, the hem gracing the floor and pooling out behind her. Her hair was tied back into a twisted bun and she wore little makeup, but she didn't need it. He felt his heart squeeze when she met his gaze, causing her to instantly start crying. He gave her a confident smile and held his hand out to her when she was close enough. He grasped her hand and pulled her close to him after she gave Touga a peck on the cheek.

"You are beautiful, Kagome." He whispered to her and smiled as she blushed. He lifted his free hand and used it to wipe away her tears.

She smiled nervously at him and gave his hands a squeeze before turning to the priest as he began to ceremony.

*~~~CH~~~*

"Push, Kagome, push!" Sesshoumaru urged, anxious to have his son. She gripped his hand hard and shot him an evil look of doom.

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" She growled and let out a screeching wail as she pushed again. Ebony hair clung to her face from the sweat. The liquid seeped down the back of her neck, staining her pistachio colored hospital gown.

"One more big one, Taisho-san!" The doctor encouraged from between her legs.

Kagome pushed as hard as she could, her face turning bright red. She suddenly felt the pressure dissipate from her and she flopped back against the bed as her baby's cries filled the room.

"Here you go, Taisho-san," The doctor said, handing Sesshoumaru a pair of surgical scissors. "That's it, right there."

The taiyoukai steadily cut the umbilical cord as the doctor instructed. Once the pup was free, the nurse carried him away. His golden eyes watched as the nurse cleared his son's nose out to clear his airways before they rinsed him of the remainder of the placenta. His keen eyes took in every detail as the nurse tied him tightly in a blue blanket.

"Here you go, Taisho-san," The nurse said happily as she handed the white haired, purple striped cheeked pup over to his anxious father. He awkwardly took his son into his arms, gazing down at their beautiful creation. He never thought he would have a pup of his own. Yes, he loved Rin and she was of no doubt his daughter, but to have a child of his own flesh and blood was something completely different. He couldn't help but look down at his peaceful son, a smile on his face.

His peace was short lived, however, when Sesshomaru's ears were suddenly filled with the buzzing and ringing of machines. He snapped his head to the bed as he saw nurses bustling around his, now unconscious, mate's bed as the doctor snapped out orders.

"What is happening?" He demanded to know what was wrong.

The doctor stumbled over his words for a moment, Sesshoumaru's youkai pressing against him in threat. "S-she's losing a lot of blood. Her pulse has slowed down exponentially. We're trying everything we can!"

What did they mean try everything they can? His stomach dropped slightly. No, No. His mate could not die. Not without holding her first pup. He held the pup tighter as the tiny hanyou began to wail from the anxiety and stress in the room.

"Shh, my son, your mother will be fine." He cooed, hoping his first words to his son would not be lies.

*~~~CH~~~*

"Okaa-san!" The children's voice rang out.

"Hai?" Kagome asked, smiling down at her two hanyou children, rubbing her belly as the third one prepared to soon enter the world. She was glad they were having another child. Ever since Rin and Shippou left for college, the house felt emptier.

"Yuujiro took my doll!" The girl whined, pulling the pout face to her mother, pulling on the hem of her dress. The girl's hair was silvery white and tied into two pigtails. Atop her head were two triangle ears, her face clear of any marking except for the sapphire crescent moon adorning her forehead. She was the youngest and daddy's little girl, so she usually got her way.

"No! I simply put it in a place you can't reach," Yuujiro remarked, crossing his arms across his chest. He had sort silvery white hair and pointed ears, a jagged purple stripe on each cheek along with the same crescent moon symbol. "It is what you get for screaming in my ear."

Mizuki's pout quickly disappeared as she pointed her finger at her older brother. "You are just an ugly meanie face, jerk!"

"Ho? I know that no daughter of mine is using such language."

The two hanyou children turned towards the kitchen entrance when they heard their father's voice. "Papa!" Mizuki cheered and tripped her brother so she would be the first to launch herself into her father's arms.

Sesshoumaru scooped up his daughter and lightly hit her on the nose with his pointer finger. "Tripping your brother and calling him names is not very nice, Mizuki." He tried to be firm, but as soon as she flashed him her big, glistening puppy eyes, he melted and gave her forehead a kiss before setting her down.

"Otou-san," Yuujiro's chest swelled up as he reported in. "Everything was fine and secure while you were at work! I made sure of it. However, Mama had a few contractions although she didn't want me to…tell…you…oops. Gomen, Mama." He looked over at his mother and gave her the same puppy-dog look that Mizuki had given her father.

Kagome let out a giggle as she stirred the pot of sukiyaki. "I suppose he was going to find out anyways," She then stuck out her tongue at her mate when he walked over to her, concern on his face. "I'm fine!"

"Contractions? So early?" He asked and put his hand on her swollen belly. "But, you are not due for another two weeks."

The miko shook her head. "Sesshou, my love, you can't always control when a baby comes. If he wants to come early, he will." She said and then felt her breath hitch when Sesshoumaru brushed his lips over her bond mark, one hand on their unborn child, the other running up her back. Even after twelve years, he still managed to take her breath away and give her the same butterflies he did when they first started talking.

"Perhaps," He replied, breathing on her neck. "But I can still control something else."

"EWW!" Mizuki and Yuujiro both shouted, their faces scrunching up in disgust. "You're being all lovey dovey again!"

The couple laughed and pulled away from each other after sharing a tender kiss, not wanting to torture their children any longer.

Sesshoumaru and Kagome smiled as they watched their children skip off to play. She leaned into her husband and looked down at her belly, rubbing it gently.

This was how their life was now, twelve years later.

And they couldn't be any happier.

**A/N: T_T All done!**


End file.
